XBook 5 It's a Question of Faith
by Leen713
Summary: Kurt has always been dedicated to his faith, in his God and in himself, but a vengeful stranger may cause him to question what he really believes. Crossover w BTVS. KurtStorm. :-) COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

Prologue:

_This was a dream._

_ She was sure of it...because she knew she was asleep._

_ Sometimes though, for Mary Sloane, dreams could be more than passing images in her mind._

_ Sometimes they were visions._

_ And sometimes...they came true._

--------------------

The young woman sat at the bar, crouched low over her drink so that her long dark hair covered her face. It was obvious she was trying to be invisible amongst the late night drunks scattered through the seedy establishment, but even in her purposely disheveled state, she could not hide her physical beauty.

She knew she was attractive, both in face and body, and that had always been just one more weapon she could use against the rest of the world. But, tonight she wanted to be alone, and as she sensed a random male patron belly up next to her, she ground her teeth angrily in anticipation for what would come next.

"Hey, baby," the man to her left said, his voice rough from years of cigarette smoke, "How you doin'?"

Faith lifted her drink to her lips and finished off the burning liquid with one quick motion. She set the glass on the bar again, her strong hands spinning it around lazily, and she stared at the sparkling reflection of many neon lights. She was tired, far too tired for her task at hand, and many long careworn years shone in her eyes. She certainly did not have the patience tonight for drunkards with their libidos on their minds.

"Oh, come on, baby," the man prodded after a moment, "Don't be like that. Aren't you interested in a little fun tonight?"

Faith still gave no indication she had noticed the man's presence. She was waiting, listening to everything around her, and preparing herself to do what she had to do. 

It had been months since she left Sunnydale, a long time to be without proper supervision in her duties. But that had not stopped her from doing them. Did that make her some kind of vigilante? Maybe. But she was a Slayer, whether or not the title was still official, and nothing made her happier than doing what she was born to do.

"Hey, bitch, I'm talkin' to you!" the man next to her suddenly shouted, and grabbed her arm roughly. Faith made no attempt to defend herself. As if on cue, another patron of the bar intervened in the drunken man's rude behavior.

"I believe the lady has made her disinterest in you quite apparent," a new voice said, the tone smooth and debonair.

Faith felt the drunkard's hand pulled away from her, and she glanced through her strands of hair to see a very well dressed gentleman holding the other man's wrist. The second patron was tall, handsome and smiling politely, a stark contrast to the bar's dingy appearance.

"Oh, yeah?" the drunk man stammered, "Well..._I believe..._you can kiss my ass and then fuck off 'cause me and this bitch was just..._ahhhh!_"

Some of the other patrons, as well as the bartender, turned to watch the confrontation between the two men with passing interest, but Faith kept her eyes forward, staring at the mirror mounted behind the bar.

After a minute under the suave man's grasp, the drunkard fell to the floor, suddenly released from the powerful hold. He stumbled to his feet, cursing and spitting in their direction, before walking off towards the bathrooms.

Faith continued to gaze into the streaked and dirty bar mirror, until a hand touched her shoulder. She turned, seeming very hesitant, and then glanced up at the second man with wide, innocent eyes.

"He won't bother you any more, my dear," the well-dressed man said soothingly, and then reached out a hand toward her face, "So strange...to see such a lovely child in a horrid place like this..."

"Are you sure he's gone?" Faith said, making her voice tremble with false anxiety.

"Oh, yes," the man replied, "I pretty sure I convinced him to leave..."

"Damn," she said, her voice suddenly becoming hard, "He said we were going to have fun..."

She tilted her head up and met the eyes of her 'savior,' such a brave 'man,' who was not a man at all.

The 'man' frowned in surprise as the helpless child's face became the visage of a killer.

"I guess I'll have to have fun with you then..." Faith said. 

In a move almost too fast to see, she drew a stake from her coat and rammed it into the vampire's chest. A split second before he turned to dust, the vampire's face changed, its fangs gnashing for her throat defensively. But, Faith only smiled, as the creature's body melted away and rained to the floor.

All the murmuring chatter around her fell into a shocked silence. The bartender began to inch slowly towards the telephone, his eyes locked in terror on the young woman with the pointy wooden stick.

Faith dusted off her hands, and fastened her weapon back into the hidden depths of her jacket. She knelt down, ignoring the horrified gasps of the people around her, and sifted through the vampire's remains. Her hands came upon a folded piece of yellowing paper, which she opened carefully, blowing the remaining ashes away so she could read what it said.

There were letters of an ancient alphabet scrawled across the top, directly above an address and date that had been spelled out in plain English. Faith smiled approvingly at her discovery and then her eyes fell to the picture below the words. It was of a dark creature, hidden by shadow and formless, except for its long curling tail, its yellow eyes and row of sharp teeth.

This was what she had been looking for. She knew there was a secret vampire coven in the part of New York outlined by the folded note, but she was less concerned about them as she was about what they planned to invoke. A demon that moved in the shadows, who could drain groups of human beings of their life blood with only a touch. But, it did not consume the blood, only the life force, which is why the vampires wanted it as a pet.

_An undead buffet whenever they wanted_, Faith thought folding up the note and putting it in her pocket, _And those Watchers thought I never did my homework on demon lore. But I remember this baddie...and I know how to kill it..._

Faith, pleased by tonight's turn of events, stood up again and sighed happily. She felt refreshed, energized, the way she always did after a good slay. But she could not say the same for the cowering patrons around her.

She turned and saw the bartender trying to dial 911 with his large shaking fingers. She grinned, slapped a twenty dollar bill on the bar, and leaned toward him.

"Just a vampire, man," she said with a shrug, "Everything's five by five now. That mirror behind the bar really comes in handy for spotting those bastards. Or, for _not_ spotting those bastards."

The bartender glanced nervously at the reflecting glass, and Faith laughed at her bizarre humor as she shoved open the bar's vinyl doors and charged out into the night.

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_It was a dream._

_ Mary was sure of that._

_ There was Kurt..._

_ There was the Slayer..._

_ The Slayer saw Kurt..._

_ She doesn't know he's not the one..._

_ She has a knife in her hand..._

_ Kurt doesn't see her..._

_ She lifts her hand and..._

_ ..._

_ ..._

Mary awoke in a cold sweat, and sat bolt upright in bed.

She glanced around the room, half expecting to see the Slayer's eyes and the glint of a blade in the darkness. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and covered her face with her hands.

"It was a dream," she said aloud, "Oh, God, I hope it was just a dream..."

After a little while, Mary was able to lie down again. 

She closed her eyes with a sigh...and wondered what in the world a Slayer was.

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Author's note: Book 5! Finally. The character of Faith is the same one as in BTVS. This takes place around season 4 or 5. I don't know too much about the later seasons but I figure this is after Faith is out of coma and all that jazz from the Graduation Day episode. No, that's not a bad pun in the title of book 5 either, but a statement on Kurt's faith. Hmm...

I just realized Book 4 has like 75 reviews. I love you guys! Please keep the critiques coming! 

To XanyKaos: Thanks for those last few reviews! Very belated luck on your finals and such. Taco Bell is definitely study food. My sis has eaten more cheesy gordita crunches this week than humanly possible any other time of the year. lol. As for romances, I'll just have to see how it plays out, but not Becca/Pyro, though I have a feeling she may grow a fondness for green British type, cause you know we all do. :-)

To Demon Rogue: Book 5! Lots of Kurt for all, and maybe a little Kurt/Ororo angst to keep things interesting!

To Liz the capitalist madhatter: I'll have to check out your recommended Kurt fics! Always looking for new fics to read. As for Toad stories, I've listed my favs in my favs at my main page but do a search for Toad fics in the characters box and a ton more will pop up. All characterize him a little differently but they are all worth reading! :-)


	2. Chapter One: Morning Routine

Chapter One:

As the morning sun rose over Westchester, New York, streams of light coursed through the windows on the east side of Xavier's School for the Gifted. It was warm, friendly, announcing without question the presence of spring.

Kurt Wagner woke slowly as the sun began to shine through the curtains of his room. Stretching his five limbs sleepily, he sat up in bed and yawned. He glanced toward the partially covered windows and a small smile formed on his face as he looked out over the mansion's spacious lawns.

It had been nearly a month since the events in West Virginia, and Kurt was relieved that life at Xavier's school had begun to return to normal again. The unseasonably chilly weather they had endured seemed to end suddenly as March turned to April, and the pleasant temperatures had rejuvenated everyone's spirits. The students were starting to count the days until summer vacation (as were some of the teachers). Even though many of them would not be leaving the mansion to return to their homes, Kurt knew the Professor had been arranging a variety of school trips and holidays for them to enjoy while classes were not in session.

With a few quick movements, Kurt was out of bed and on his feet. He went about his normal morning routine, whistling a cheerful tune that had often been played during his time at the Munich Circus. The harpsichordist there had been a kindly old man who had chosen it particularly for the Amazing Nightcrawler's most death defying performances.

After he came out of his bathroom, he knelt on a pillow at the foot of his bed, and folded his hands together in humble prayer. This morning conversation with God was always to give thanks for all he had and to ask for protection for his friends and the students he lived with. Kurt raised his head after a moment, and stared up at the small crucifix hanging on the wall above his bed.

"Amen," he said aloud, and a smile returned to his face as he grasped his rosary and blessed himself.

Using his tail as much as his arms, Kurt dressed in a loose-fitting shirt and pants, knowing he would be changing again soon for training anyway. With another quick flip of his tail, he closed the closet doors behind him and then teleported out into the hallway.

When he reappeared, he was relieved not to see anyone else around. He had been practicing teleportation more often without the aid of a visual cue for his destination; through walls, up and down to different floors in the mansion, but it typically was not encouraged for him to do it alone. After all, there was always the chance of teleporting _into_ someone else, but Kurt knew it was still too early for most of the students to be awake yet.

He waited until he reached the top of the stairs before teleporting down to the ground below to be sure no one was standing near the front doors.

_BAMF_

Kurt yawned again as he walked down the halls. Above him, he began to hear the rumbling footsteps of the students as they got themselves ready for their first classes. Kurt pushed open the kitchen door, and grinned when he saw Rogue leaning over a bowl of cereal and a textbook on the central counter. She greeted him happily, but Kurt could tell by the look on her face that she was doing some last minute cramming for today's history exam. Just because Rogue worked with the X-Men now did not mean Storm would be any easier on her when final grade came in.

If Rogue had been looking over at her friend, she would have seen that his face had flushed at little bit, his blue skin fading almost purple along his cheekbones. It happened whenever Kurt thought of Ororo...or talked to Ororo...or talked to someone else about Ororo. He could not help it. But he never called her Ororo to her face, it was always Miss Monroe, or Storm if they were in uniform. She had always intimidated him a little bit, her confidence, her poise, her unwavering friendship since that moment under Alkalai Lake when he had teleported them into the dark Cerebro.

_I have faith in you_, she had said, and that powerful comment still affected him deeply. She did not know it, but that statement had helped him find his own confidence, and for that he would always been grateful to her.

Storm was his friend, she was his teammate, so why couldn't he have a simple conversation with her without becoming _Herrennerven_? Kurt sighed heavily and crouched on a chair at the larger table near the window, leaning his head in his hand and squinting into the sunlight.

"Training today, Kurt?" Rogue asked, glancing back over her shoulder.

"Ya," he replied, "How did Peter do yesterday? That was his first _real_ session, wasn't it?"

Rogue nodded, "Yep, and he'll be there again today. You should have heard Siryn when she found out the Professor's letting him use the Danger Room with us."

"I _did_ hear her," Kurt said with a laugh, remembered the shrill shriek from the dorms, "Who broke the news to her?"

"Kitty did," Rogue replied with a grin, "Though she's regretting it. She was complaining of a headache all last night. Teach her not to gossip so much. Oh...wait, no it won't..."

Kurt chuckled and leapt up from his chair after he finished eating his own breakfast.

"I am going to head downstairs," he said and Rogue slammed her book shut with a sigh.

"So am I," she said, "There's no way I'm gonna be able to study with everyone around looking for food. I'm gonna hang out in the lab until class."

Kurt and Rogue wandered out of the kitchen and headed toward the concealed elevator near the back staircase. They were chatting and laughing as they turned the corner and spotted Scott and the Professor talking to one of the newer students. She could not have been more than fourteen or fifteen years old, but she looked happy enough, staring in awe at the mansion around her. Rogue waved to Scott as they approached.

"Good morning, Mr. Summers," she addressed him formally in front of the new student, "Good morning, Professor."

"Oh, hello, Rogue," the Professor said and smiled at Kurt, "...and good morning to you, Mr. Wagner. We have just been showing Jessica here the classrooms and introducing her to the other teachers."

Kurt glanced over at the girl with a friendly grin, but he could tell immediately from the look on her face that his appearance had startled her. The cheerful smile had faded from her face, and she would only look at Kurt with quick, nervous glances. It was something Kurt had grown accustomed to over his years in the circus, but he still felt awkward when addressing someone new for the first time.

"It is very nice to meet you," Kurt said politely, "Welcome to our school."

Rogue looked between her friend and the new student, and continued the conversation with civility, even though she hated how the girl was acting.

"I hope Mr. Summers isn't too tough on you during your first class," Rogue said, trying to ease the girl's tension by throwing Scott an amused wink, "He never goes easy on me and Kurt..."

The girl did not smile but continued to look fearfully between them. Xavier sighed, and glanced over at the others.

_Give her time_, he sent to them telepathically and Kurt nodded knowingly.

"Well, Jessica, why don't we show you some of the other dormitories before classes begin," Xavier said and lead the new student and Scott on down the hall.

Kurt watched them go sadly and sighed. When he looked over at Rogue again, he could sense her barely contained anger and he grinned.

"And I though Logan had left," Kurt teased her and Rogue took a deep breath before replying.

"Sorry," she said, "I just don't have patience for people like than anymore. What does she think you are? Some kind of monster or something? You're a mutant...just like her...just like all of us..."

"I've been mistaken for such things in the past," Kurt said softly, reflecting on his time in the abandoned church in Boston, "Both purposefully, by my actions, and not..."

Rogue sighed again, "Well, you shouldn't be mistaken for those things _here_. This is a place _for mutants_."

"And that child is probably just beginning to learn what mutants are," Kurt said simply, "I wonder how long she has known she is a mutant. Probably only a matter of weeks. She cannot be blamed for her attitude."

"I guess," Rogue replied, but then pointed a warning finger at him, "But, if she's rude to you again..."

Kurt grinned, "Then she _will be_ rude. I will not try to force her to change her opinions. There are her own to choose."

"Dammit, Kurt, stop being so understanding!" Rogue exclaimed, "I'm trying to be enraged over here!"

"Save it for the Danger Room, _böses Fräulein_," Kurt said, and they continued on toward the elevator

As they waited for the doors to open, Kurt noticed Mary walking past them with her eyes downward in thought. When she spotted them, Mary walked over to them quickly. She had a strange look on her face, worried, almost anxious.

"Morning," Mary said quickly, and pointed at the closed wall, "Down?"

"Yep," Rogue replied and then frowned, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered quickly, "I'm just...I need to talk to Dr. McCoy..."

"Are you sure?" Kurt asked and Mary gave him a strange, measuring look. Kurt shifted uncomfortably and wondered why everyone was so unnerved today.

"Yeah," Mary said, and then as the elevator opened she spoke again, "Maybe I won't go downstairs...I should talk to the Professor first...maybe...but...well...Kurt? Has anything strange happened to you today?"

Kurt blinked in surprised and shook his head.

"No, why do you ask?" he said and Mary shrugged.

"Um...no reason...just..." she said, almost mumbling, "Just be careful today..."

Mary suddenly spun around and headed back in the other direction. Kurt and Rogue exchanged confused glances as they walked into the elevator.

"Everyone's so jittery this morning," Rogue said, "Maybe someone put caffeine in the water supply..."

"That should be interesting for the school day then," Kurt replied with a grin, but inwardly was still more than a little surprised by Mary's strange behavior and vague concern.

_Oh, well,_ he thought, _At least if I'm nervous around Oro...Miss Monr... Storm... maybe no one will notice..._

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Author's Note: Um...nothing really to say. :-) Just review responses...hooray!

To XanyKaos: Can't get too blasphemous, yo. I don't wanna be struck by lightning or anything. The almighty has a sense of humor but only puts up with my crap for so long. (I have a Celtic cross emblazoned on my shoulder so I get some leeway.) :-) But seriously the real question I'm looking at here is Kurt's strong convictions about his religious faith versus his own faith in himself. I don't think his character has any doubts about God and his spiritual beliefs, but does have doubts about himself. He has patience for other people's faults but little patience for his own. Makes a good contrast with Storm, who believes in herself and those around her but has doubts about the rest of the world. :-)

To WolfKyr: Thanks for following on to book 5! This one's going to be a little more challenging to write, but what fun would it be if it was easy! Keep up the grammar watching too! LOL. You catch what MSWord grammar check doesn't!

To Sheera: Buffyverse mixed with X-menverse makes for one insanityverse. Considering there's a few more otherverses that will be mixed in too, it's gonna be one funky fan fiction smoothie once I'm done. :-)

To Liz, the capitalist madhatter: I always thought Faith's character was interesting. I'm going from season four I think. I wasn't able to watch the later seasons, and probably won't be able until the DVDs are out. :-) After coma...after body switching with Buffy (I'm not sure when that was exactly), Faith is out on her own, but unable to deny her need to do what Slayers are born to do. I imagine she has some doubts about herself as well.

To DemonRogue13: I've come to find that Mary's gift of seeing the future is a great lead in for stories. Question is...will she be able to change what she saw. (enter _dun dun dun_ music here :-)

To ManniElf18: Many more crossover characters to come. :-) My sis has been buggin' me for a Giles scene since Book 1...but I leave her in terrible suspense but not telling her anything that's gonna happen. William the Bloody (awful poet) will definitely be making an appearance, though probably not in this book. This one's gonna pretty X-Men-centric, but who knows. I certainly don't know. I'm a surprised as anyone when the words appear on the page before me. Then I look back over the text...and realize I should be thanking God for MSWord spell checker or else the whole series woould loooke lyke theiiis.


	3. Chapter Two: Faith on the Hunt

Chapter Two:

As Faith crept quietly around the outside of the old house, she almost sighed with boredom when she found the pad-locked cellar doors. Hunting during the day, when most demons were at their weakest, may have been easier than night patrols, but Faith had always preferred a lively fight over a quick stake-and-run job. Most of the vampires slumbering below would not even be aware of her attack, since they would be ashes as soon as the daylight was allowed to enter the lower rooms.

Still, it was better than sitting around and doing nothing all day. Whenever she took a moment to reflect, all she could think about was her failure in Sunnydale, to be a Slayer, to keep her 'friends,' to just have a life. She had even made a shitty bad guy when the Mayor had taken her under his wing...

Faith shook her head and gritted her teeth against the memories. Her eyes focused on the rusty lock holding the two weathered pieces of wood that made up the door closed. These vampires must have made themselves a cozy little nook here if that was all the protection they had during the day.

Before she attempted to enter the house, Faith pounded loudly on the doors and then listened for the sounds of possible guarding animals. She had invaded an old warehouse once and nearly lost her right leg to a couple of hellhounds left to watch over the place during the day. However, she had a feeling this coven had grown a little overconfident, especially considering what they were planning to conjure for themselves this very night.

_ They should have invested in the hellhounds_, Faith thought with a vicious grin,_ Then, they may have lived to see tonight..._

Faith lifted her foot over the pad lock and smashed the doorway inward with a few solid kicks. Once again she waited, watching the dust settling down through the streams of sunlight that now poured into the old house's basement.

She jumped down through the opening and landed on her feet effortlessly, stake in hand, searching for targets. But as she glanced around the room, a frowned formed on her face.

There were coffins scattered around her, maybe a dozen in total, but they were all open...and they were all empty.

Faith took a few careful steps forward, her eyes darting back and forth between the shadowy corners of the basement. Her movements were barely audible, footsteps taken with an inhuman silence few but Slayers possessed, each boot leaving a heavy mark in the earthen floor.

About half way across the room, Faith began to hear a rhythmic noise, the vibrato of heavy drums steadily pounded by large hammers. The sound echoed through the basement, causing decades of dust and debris to shower from the walls and ceiling.

One of the coffin lids slammed loudly, and Faith spun on her heel, stake in hand, ready to face one of her fanged enemies. But, she was still alone in the dingy room, and the noise around her was joined with strange chanting.

Faith growled in frustration, though the noise was lost among the rumbling drums. Where was it coming from? Certainly not from the upper floors or else the vamps would have angry neighbors to deal with as well as an angry Slayer. Faith doubted this little New York suburb would welcome the constant sound of demon chants on their block.

So...was the noise coming from below her?

The floor was made of solid dirt, so how could they be....

Suddenly the sound stopped, and everything fell silent...except for a particularly whiny voice, which also echoed from beneath her feet.

"Man, this is so cheesy," the complainer griped.

"It is not!" Another voice replied, "Now, shut up and keep chanting."

Faith grinned and, using the tip of her boot, she wiped the dirt away from a small area to reveal the wooden floorboards hidden beneath.

_ I can't believe I missed that_, she thought, more amused by the continuing banter below than annoyed, _I must be out of practice_.

She listened for a few more minutes before she found the entrance to a stairway leading to the hidden chamber. As the rumble of the drums began again, Faith grinned and headed down.

"Drums...drums..." she said aloud, remembering a story she had read when she was younger, "Drums in the deep..."

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"Dude," the whiny vampire complained loudly, once again interrupting the ceremony, "These drums are totally rattling my brain. Do we gotta do this the _whole_ time?"

"Yes! We do!" the leader of this coven answered angrily, "Now do you guys wanna summon this demon or not?"

As Faith caught her first glimpse of her enemies, she struggled not to laugh out loud. The 'leader' vampire was dressed from head to toe in a long purple robe, and he had a large, obviously homemade, crown on his head. He could not have been more than twenty when he was made a vampire, and his skinny form was almost drowning in the 'ceremonial' robes. Before him was a caldron, painted with cartoonish flames and scary eyes.

The other vampires were looking at the 'leader' with bored glances, and Faith turned her head slightly to see the infamous whining vamp speak again.

"Well..._yeah...I guess, but Steve..._" the vamp said, but was quickly interrupted.

"I told you..." the 'leader' growled in his high-pitched voice, "In ceremony, you are to call me _Lord Quisnias! _And each part of this is essential for calling the demon we want. Just one slip...and Lord Quisnias will have failed to give the demon its _full power_..."

The coven shifted with annoyance from foot to foot, obviously not a fan of the head vamp's chosen alias.

"Whatever, Lord Quiznos," the whiny vampire said with a sigh, "Let's just get this over with. I wanna eat someone tonight...or a few someones..."

A rumble of agreement rolled through the group, and their leader suddenly grinned.

"Fine," he said, and Faith watched as his face melted to reveal 'Lord Steve's' true nature. The rumble of the drums began again, and the other vampires also morphed into their true faces, all gnashing their teeth in anticipation.

"Gentlemen," the leader said, "Get ready for the feast!"

The chanting rose again, with more intensity than before, and Faith gripped her stake tightly. A dark blue mist began to rise from the caldron, and the air around her was sharp with the scent of brimstone.

"Arise!" the leader suddenly shouted, "Arise!"

_ Shit_, Faith thought, _These vamps may be geeks...but they know what they're doing..._

Without another thought, the Slayer dove from her hiding place and staked three vampires before the others had time to react. With a few swift motions, Faith dusted two more who lunged at her with clumsy punches.

Before the ash could settle, she was face to face with the gripey vamp. He stared at her in wide-eyed horror, and then cried out at the stake struck his chest.

"_Man..._" he whined one last time, "_This really...sucks!_"

In the next instant, he was gone. Faith then turned toward the leader, who was still chanting over the steaming blue smoke. He was a persistent geek, she had to give him that.

Before she could reach him, another vampire grabbed her from behind. With an annoyed grunt, she spun around and flipped him toward the caldron. The impact of vamp on the metal pot had enough force to knock the concoction off its legs and the bubbling mess poured out over the floor.

Faith jumped onto a nearby table so the substance did not touch her feet, and watched with disgust as a misty form rose from the liquid. She could make out a pair of yellow eyes and a row of sharp white teeth. The vague figure floated toward her, and she saw a long tail snap around behind the creature as the shape in the smoke became more tangible.

"_No!_" the leader cried out, and pointed at Faith, "_You ruined everything! That's not what it's supposed to look like!" _

Both Faith and the shadowy creature looked over at the purple clad vampire as he spoke, his bony fists shaking above his head in fury.

_ "It was supposed to be solid..."_ the lead vamp shrieked, "A_nd strong! With really _great pecs and abs_! Now look at it...all smoggy and weak!"_

Faith heard the creature let out a low roar that shook the room as much as the drums had. Obviously, the demon did not appreciate the opinions of his undead conjuror. The vampire took a step back in terror as the creature closed in around him.

"Um...I didn't mean _weak_," the vamp pleased, "I meant, _weak_ like...um..._sweet...You know...cause being all transparent and dusty is really a good look for you..."_

His rambling was replaced by his screams, as the demon tore the vampire apart. Faith watched in horror as the coven's dead leader was beheaded. She knew what the creature was looking for, the vampire's life force, but the vampire lost that at the same time he lost his soul.

That was why the coven wanted this creature. It took the spirit but left the body intact (so long as you did not insult its pecs and abs), making a plethora of food that did not fight back.

When the demon finished tearing the vampire to shreds, it turned again and focused its yellow eyes on Faith. She ground her teeth in preparation for a fight, and drew a long blade from her belt. There was only one way to kill this thing, and that was with a wound to the base of the neck. Problem was...where the heck was the neck on a formless wraith?

The creature moved toward her, and Faith did a back flip off the table and toward the stairway. She ran upward, hearing the swishing movements of the demon as it pursued her.

She reached the basement, and ran straight toward the light of the open doors. The creature screeched in fury as she fled, its long tail snapping angrily.

Faith reached the mangled remains of the doors and leapt upward. She swung out of the basement and rolled down along the lawn away from the house. She landed on her stomach, but spun around just in time to see the demon's dark smoky form spill out into the sun. It let out an inhuman shriek as the light of day broke apart its cold shadows and it seemed to evaporate into the air.

Faith was breathing heavily as she watched the trails of blue smoke disappear toward the sky. She sat up and let out a heavy sigh of relief. But, she soon heard another shriek tear through the quiet neighborhood, and she was immediately on her feet.

She still had the knife in her hand as she jerked her head back and forth searching for her prey. But the shriek had come from further off than before, and after a moment she spotted a pair of yellow eyes beneath a line of trees across the street.

The demon hissed and growled as it glared at Faith, now very aware of what she was, and also aware of its own weakness in the daylight. It needed to find people, someone to draw a life force from, so that it could strengthen its own body.

Faith watched as it swirled away, moving quickly from shadow to shadow down the peaceful neighborhood lane. She stowed the long knife in her belt again and ran off after the demon, hoping she could find a way to catch it...and kill it...before it was able to harm anyone else.


	4. Chapter Three: Danger Room Blues

Chapter Three:

Nightcrawler disappeared as a wall of ice cut across the Danger Room floor. The attack had been quick, aimed directly and deliberately at him. A moment later, the blue mutant reappeared a few feet away and glanced around at his opponents.

There were three of them, coming at him from all sides. Nightcrawler crouched low and readied himself as a tall figure smashed through the frozen wall. He waited until Colossus was almost close enough to reach him and then disappeared again, just as a heavy fist swung down and smashed into the floor.

This time, Nightcrawler reappeared on the top of the ice and glanced down at his opponents warily. He could see Gambit holding several glowing cards in his hand. With a flick of the red-eyed mutant's wrist, the cards became flaming missiles that never seemed to miss their target. Nightcrawler leapt away, springing down from the ice just before the cards destroyed another section of the wall.

He landed gracefully on his feet and then spotted Cyclops lying on the ground, 'unconscious' but still guarded by Iceman. This training session was focused on rescuing a fallen teammate or bystander, and it was Nightcrawler's turn to 'save' Cyclops from his three 'enemies.' Nightcrawler sighed heavily, hating the idea of having enemies but he knew that it was necessary to learn how to defend oneself and others in the combat situations that the X-Men unfortunately found themselves in sometimes.

As Nightcrawler made his way toward Cyclops, Iceman raised his hands to either side, creating several barricades in front of him. With a few quick flips, Nightcrawler cleared each icy defense, before suddenly finding himself surrounded again by Gambit and Colossus. From behind his back, Gambit drew a long bow; a weapon Storm had been encouraging him to train with as well, since his kinetic attacks could be so destructive. He swung the bow toward Nightcrawler, who dodged the blow and managed to wrap his tail around it and yank the bow out of Gambit's grasp. Colossus caught the weapon deftly as it flew through the air and swung it at Nightcrawler like a baseball bat.

The motion was fast, and caught the blue mutant off guard. As Nightcrawler tried to disappear again, the bow clipped him in the leg. When he reappeared, he stumbled and slipped upon the icy floor. He hit the ground hard and the others heard him gasp in surprised pain.

Colossus dropped the bow immediately and the expression on his face changed from the determined glare of a fighter to the anxious worry of a friend.

"Kurt!" he said, the solid shell over his skin fading away, "Are you alright?"

"SIMULATION ENDED," a computerize voice announced.

Kurt lay on his back, his eyes closed against the bright lights of the ceiling as he tried to catch his breath. The ache in his leg was fading, but the vertigo he felt lasted another minute or so before he could sit up. Scott was on his feet and at Kurt's side quickly, telling Bobby to go get Henry from the medical bay when the dizzy blue mutant raised one hand in protest.

"No...No, you don't need to do that," Kurt said, pushing himself up with his elbows.

Peter looked at Kurt with almost frightened concern. He had not meant to actually hit Kurt with the bow. He had expected Kurt to teleport away faster than he had. This training session had been meant more for Colossus and Gambit than Kurt, as the amazing Nightcrawler had always been able to evade their attacks quite easily.

"Sorry, Kurt" Peter said, "I shouldn't have hit you so hard..."

Kurt started to shake his head, but felt the whole room spin when he did it.

"No," he replied, "You only grazed me as I was teleporting away. When solid objects interfere with my jump...it makes me feel a little...what is it called? Motion sick?"

Kurt shrugged and grinned, slightly embarrassed.

"It's an important observation to remember from today's training," Scott said calmly, "We can't predict what kind of debris may be in motion during a battle situation..."

"Battle situation..." Kurt repeated softly.

Scott smiled, "Hopefully, we'll _never be_ in that kind of situation again."

_ Again..._ Kurt repeated again, but this time only to himself. As Scott praised Peter on the improvements in his form since the last training session, Kurt sighed unhappily and got to his feet. He hated the idea of using his power against others as much as the idea of having enemies to use them against. Men like Stryker, other mutants like the Brotherhood...Kurt simply could not understand how people held such animosity in their hearts day after day.

He supposed it was all about perception. If you perceive someone as your enemy, then it is very easy to hate them, and allow that hate to be the filter through which you see the world. Hate one mutant...hate them all. Hate one human being...hate them all. Kurt did not want to hate anybody, no matter how much they wronged him.

Like the new student in the hall that morning. She had formed a perception of what mutants were over her childhood. When she learned she was a mutant, that perception would have changed. Suddenly, she saw all mutants as people just like her. Kurt knew that when she saw him, her perception would have changed again. But, change is never easy, and it would take time for new light to break through her current understanding of the world.

She was a mutant...and he was a mutant, just like her. Wasn't he?

Kurt sighed again as they walked toward the Danger Room's exit.

Bobby glanced at him with a curious frown. He had noticed during the entire training session that Kurt seemed a little distracted, and Bobby wondered what was bothering him.

"Sure you don't want to stop by the infirmary?" he asked. Kurt shook his head but was appreciative of Bobby's concern.

"No, I'm fine, just...a little tired, I guess," Kurt replied, a strangely distant look in his eyes.

"You work too hard, _ami_," Remy said, sadly shaking his head. His bow was stretched over his shoulders behind his neck, his arms lazily draped over each end.

Suddenly, he grinned and waved a warning finger at Kurt, "Not healthy for the soul. Haven't you ever seen that movie with that hotel and the ghosts and Jack Nicholson is chasing everybody around with an axe saying 'All work made me crazy!' _Blaaah_."

Bobby laughed, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?"

Remy shrugged, "Whatever he said...still scared the _merde_ out of this Cajun."

"Maybe that is true," Kurt said, and then tilted his head thoughtfully, "I might go meditate a while and try to calm myself..."

Without warning, Remy suddenly spun the bow from his shoulders and tapped it loudly on the ground. His eyes were wide and he grinned broadly, as if divine inspiration just graced him with an idea.

"No, _ami_," he said enthusiastically, "Forget the _meditation_! Remy has a better idea!"

Bobby and Kurt exchanged comically worried glances at the Cajun's enthusiasm.

"We...meaning myself and all of you," Remy said dramatically, "_We_...all of us hard-working X-Men...should have a little party."

Remy continued walking around the other two, using his staff like a gentleman's cane, and dance stepping around it with flair.

"Nothing _grande_," he said in response to their doubtful expression, "Simply a _petit_ gathering of a few friends. A little food...a little music...a lot of wine..."

"Just what the Professor wants," Bobby said sarcastically, "A night of under-aged drinking..."

Remy frowned, "Under-aged? What? Who?"

"I'm _nineteen_..." Bobby replied.

"We can always make you a fake I.D.," Kurt replied with a laugh.

"Do you think the Professor would fall for it?" Bobby asked and grinned.

Reaching into his pocket for his cards, Remy sighed and looked at them with annoyance. If someone had asked him, he would have never guessed that Bobby was so young, considering his skill in training and his serious attitude about it. Remy wondered vaguely if Rogue was as young as her _beau_.

"Fine," he said, "Just a little food and a little music then. And a little five-card to keep things interesting..."

"Sounds good to me," Bobby said, "Let's go find out what everybody wants to eat..."

Remy clapped the younger man on the shoulder with delight, "That's my boy! Remy is going to raise you to be just like him when you grow up."

Bobby rolled his eyes, but grinned.

Kurt chuckled. He had a feeling Remy would be teasing the young Iceman about his age until he turned twenty-one.

_ A dinner with friends_, Kurt thought, reflecting back on his months alone in the empty church after fleeing to America from the Munich Circus. It made him sad to think of those lonely times, but it also made him all the more thankful to God for what he had now.

There may be spite and prejudice in the world...but not everywhere.

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Author's note: Dedicating this chapter and any future Giles references to Sis-Aeris who graduated today from college!! Now she has her BS just like I have my BS! lol Congratulations!

Reviews! Responses! Yay!

To carmilla: So...I've invented my own German word huh? LOL. Pretty good for someone who doesn't know anything about the language (THAT's painfully obvious!) But luckily I can't take credit for it. I used one of those internet translating sites. Typed in 'angry girl' and that's what it gave me. The next time Kurt decides to break into his native tongue, I'll check with a more reliable source (like you! :-)

To capitalistmadhatter: Yeah, like I said above...internet translator. LOL. I tried a bunch of names and 'herrennerven' just seemed to look the most interesting. Oh well...

To XanyKaos: You talk about ME updating quick!? So many Toad-fics...so few chances to sneak on my e-mail at work! :-) PS- I don't know what it is about that Quiznos commercial, but no one can order from there without singing that song! I am the only one who's fascinated by that!?! lol

To DemonRogue13: Glad you liked last two chapters and here are two more for you! (I've been REALLY bored at work.) lol


	5. Chapter Four: Following

Chapter Four:

It was well after noon when Faith came upon the demon again...and its fourth victim.

She had been following its path since early this morning, and as more people wandered into the streets going about their daily business, the more opportunities the demon had to catch someone off guard.

It still could not solidify its bodily form in the daylight; maybe it would not ever be able to. However, it could attack those unlucky individuals who wandered into a shady corner or down a dark street. The only real way Faith had been able to track the demon this far was by following the trail of fatalities. She dreaded what would happen once the sun went down and the protective light falling on most pedestrians right now was gone.

_I'll kill it before then_, Faith thought angrily and ran down an alleyway toward the sounds of the demon's inhuman attack.

As she drew closer, Faith saw the demon's smoky form encircling a man in its grasp. The demon's long vicious claws extended out from each of the five fingers on its hands, preventing its victim from moving while the life force was drained. Faith watched as the creature's arms and face became more distinct with each passing moment. The life force of its victims had given it more strength and a more definite shape.

_Just so long as I can see your neck, you bastard_, Faith thought.

She skidded to a halt as the demon dropped the man to the ground. It turned its disembodied face toward her, and sneered viciously. With a long screech, the demon swirled away and moved out of the alley.

Faith walked up slowly to the man's body and stared down at him. He looked cold, and empty, as if he had been dead for hours. Faith knelt next to the anonymous man she had not saved and closed his eyes. She moved the body carefully, almost respectfully to the side and covered him up with a nearby tarp. It was the least she could do...for someone she failed...

_SLAM._

There was a loud clang as Faith punched her fist into the side of a dumpster, her eyes staring blankly forward.

She could see the sunlight but, from where she stood, she could not feel it.

It was not fair. What did this man ever do to deserve that demon's wrath? Why did he get to be condemned to have his life force stolen by some beast from hell? Why did the three others before him deserve the same? Why doesn't that creature just take her instead...

Faith took one long breath and drew her hand back to her chest. The dumpster had a large dent from the force of her punch, and Faith flexed her fingers with a hiss of pain.

That was better. Pain was easier to feel than guilt. It helped her focus. It helped push away memories of her past she would rather not have.

It helped her forget the man she had killed back in Sunnydale.

She had not done it on purpose.

She had thought the man was a vampire.

But that did not mean she did not enjoy the killing...

_ Stop it..._ she told herself angrily, _What's done is done. And standing here feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to help the next person that damned monster finds..._

"Monster..." she suddenly said aloud, but her voice did not seem to be her own, "That's what you call creatures who kill people...creatures like me..."

_ You're not a monster..._ Faith told herself but heard her voice speak again.

"No...I'm a Slayer..." she said, "We don't kill people...but I did...so...what does that make me?"

Faith flexed her hand again and glanced down at the dead man's body one more time.

Whatever she was now, she still had a job to do, one she could not have given up if she wanted to. The call of her heritage would never let her stop. And at least that gave her something to hold on to...something more than the guilt...something more than the hate...

So, Faith ran on, into the sunlight, but in search of the shadows.

It was less than an hour later when she passed the large sign that read:

_ Welcome to Westchester County_


	6. Chapter Five: Kurt's Thoughts

Author's note: I didn't do this in chapter one, so...

Disclaimer:  I do not claim any ownership to the characters from the Marvel universe or any other-verse that ended up in this little fic.  However, I bought new sandals last week, and I do own those!  Yay!

Chapter Five:

            As the students were finishing up their lunches and preparing for afternoon classes, Kurt perched on the roof just above the second floor common room's large windows.  The sun above him was bright but was still fighting away the last of winter, so the air around him was not too hot.  The span of shingles beneath his feet was fairly flat and the wind was nothing more than a breeze, but Kurt still kept his tail loosely wrapped around the base of a nearby lightning rod. 

            His caution was simply a habit from the circus he had not bothered to change; if he was up high, with no safety net below him, his trainer had always warned him to keep one hand on a stationary object until the performance began.  Luckily for Kurt, he never needed to spare a hand, since his tail was able to do all the work.

            With that freedom, he was able to pull his rosary between his fingers as he stared thoughtfully out over the mansion's vast lawns.  He could see the few remaining children gathering up their books as the hour of one, and the end of lunch break, drew ever closer.  Most of the students who spotted Kurt sitting above them waved and called up to him cheerfully, but there were those who still regarded him with uncertainty.

            Kurt sighed and thought about the new student he met this morning.  She had not just seemed uncertain, she had almost been afraid of him, and Kurt could not help feeling a little bad about making the child uncomfortable in an already new and strange environment.  Her reaction was fairly typical, but not one that ever made Kurt angry...just sad. 

            No matter how much he assured himself that his only differences from an ordinary human being were on the outside, it still was a constant reminder that he _was _different.  Many mutants faced with such discrimination grew resentful to humans, even other mutants who looked like all ordinary humans.  Kurt, however, simply found himself feeling very, very lonely.

            As he turned the beads, his fingers struck the larger cross, adorning one end, and he stared down at it sadly.  He remembered the day he been given this rosary, a gift from his mentor at the circus, the one he and many others had called _Mutter Abby, or Mutter Abigail._

            -----------------------------------------

            It had been a cold day, Kurt remembered, bitter and windy.  The enormous tents covering the audiences and the performers had rippled and groaned from the pressure of the winds.  Even through the heavy fabrics, Kurt had felt the harsh sting of the air as he stood in position over the shivering crowd.  The supports for the trapezes were not connected to the outer structure, but they still swayed slightly and the others had grumbled about whether or not they would even be able to do their acts.

            The owner of the circus, who also doubled as the ringleader, had not wanted to risk the health or lives of any of his performers, but the paying customers around them were restless, expecting a show worthy of their money.  So the ringleader had been desperately searching for something to appease them.

            Kurt had been very young, barely fifteen at the time, and still a student in the eyes of the others.  The one they called _Mutter Abby_ had encouraged his training, knowing his mutation gifted him with acrobatic skills the other lacked.  As the ringleader worked to find someone to replace the high wire acts, Kurt approached Abby with an idea.

            "Kurt," she said to him, "God has given you a gift, even though some may not say so.  I know you want to prove your worth among the others but...do you really believe you can do this on your own?"

            "I do, _mutter_," he said with the terrifying confidence of youth, "Please, let me try.  Besides...if I fall, at least the circus has only lost one mutant..."

            "No," Abby said firmly, and then touched his face tenderly, "Never believe that.  Don't doubt yourself just because others cannot see beyond their own hate.  Have faith in yourself..."

_            Mutter _Abby had taken a rosary from her pocket and placed it in his hand.  Kurt stared at the dark beads curiously, but the elderly woman simply nodded with approval.  After that, she went to talk to the ringleader, as Kurt snuck toward the trapeze.

            So, there he stood, cold and frightened above the rowdy patrons, tying the rosary to his belt with his icy fingers as he held himself in place with his tail.  It was very dim and shadowy at this height, and the ringleader ordered the spotlight operators not to follow the mutant performer.  Kurt took a long breath, trying to keep his cold hands from shaking, and waited for his cue.  Of course, he had no idea what that would be, he did not really have a stage name yet...

            Suddenly, the ringleader's voice blared over the speakers and Kurt tightened his tail around pole with surprise.  His heart was pounding in his chest and he was suddenly grateful that the bright spots were not focused on him.  He could not even make out what the ringleader was saying, he just waited until the talking stopped and the music began, and then leapt out onto the first swing. 

            Once he was in the air, all of his anxiety disappeared.  Kurt moved with a strange grace and beauty that made the crowd gasp and applaud.  He could hardly hear their reactions over the rapid beat of his heart, now pounding with excitement and not fear.  The large posts supporting the trapeze swayed even more under his weight but his own agility allowed him to compensate his performance when needed.

            Then, as his act was drawing to a close, Kurt reached out for the last swing...and misjudged the distance between the bar and his outstretched arm.  His fingers grazed the ropes but did not make solid contact.  Desperately, Kurt spun his weight and grabbed the bar with his tail.  He swung for a moment like that and the audience fell silent, both in awe and in fear of this unexpected action. 

            Kurt tried to tighten his tail on the swing as he had to the pole on the platform, but his extra appendage had not yet grown strong enough to hold his body weight...and he suddenly began to fall.  He could hear the audience (and everyone else) cry out in alarm.  There had been no safety nets in place as part of the scheduled act, and Kurt was well aware of that as he spun head over heels toward the concrete floor.

            In those few desperate moments, Kurt closed his eyes tightly and prayed for God's mercy.  He felt something in him spark to life, something in his mind, and just before he hit the ground...Kurt vanished.

            No one breathed, staring in shock at the empty area where Kurt should have landed.  Then, there was a soft sound and Kurt reappeared above the swings, still accelerating downward.  He reached out with one hand and caught one of the ropes, burning his palms as he forced his falling motion to stop.  He felt his feet touch the bar of the swing, and stood in bewildered surprise as he looked out over the crowd.

            There was a long moment of shocked silence from everyone...until someone in the audience began to clap.  The applause grew from that spot, until every patron was on their feet, howling and cheering the amazing conclusion to the show.

            Kurt looked down, and saw the other circus performers staring at him with a mix of relief and wonder.  The ringleader's mouth hung open, almost unable to believe the mutant boy was alive, until a broad smiled broke over his features.  The others around him also began to applaud, and Kurt saw approval in their faces, including _mother_.

            "Ladies and Gentlemen!" the ringleader announced grandly, "I give you... the..._amazing...the...incredible...Nightcrawler!_"

            Kurt still had trouble moving from the swing, even as he became more and more certain he was not dead.  He held the rosary tightly in one hand, and wondered what miracle had saved him from his unpleasant demise...

            After the show, many people in the audience waited to meet the Incredible Nightcrawler, but _Mutter Abby_ cautioned Kurt about reentering the crowd.  Kurt had grudgingly agreed simply to return to his own room in their traveling home, but the call of the spotlight drew him back to the exiting lines of people.  They had seen him during the show, and they had loved his performance.  Why shouldn't he go out and meet those who were calling his name?

            Kurt snuck through the shadows, thinking of himself as _Nightcrawler_ with amusement, until he could see the lights at the front of the tent.  He inched closer and glanced around the corner.  He could see the ringleader speaking highly of him and reassuring the crowds that _The Incredible Nightcrawler_ would return next week.  Kurt grinned happily, feeling proud and special at the discovery of his new gifts.

            A little girl exiting the tent walked close by him, though Kurt did not notice her.  She glanced back into the shadows and spotted a pair of yellow eyes in the darkness.  She suddenly began to scream, and the crowd's attention shifted from the ringleader, to the little girl, to the shadowy form she was pointing to.

            "_Monster_!" she screamed again and again, weeping into her father's jacket.

            The crowd began to gasp and shout in surprised horror at the creature in the shadows.  Little did they know it was the same individual they had been cheering only a moment before.  Someone threw a bottle toward the dark figure and Kurt had to jump backwards in order to avoid the shattering glass.

            With confused panic, Kurt ran off towards the private quarters of the circus folk.  He moved through the shadows in desperation, getting himself as far away from the screaming crowd as he could.  When he reached the last box card, he ran around the back and leaned against the rough wooden slats.

            Bitter tears were streaming down his face and Kurt bowed in head into his hands.  He could not understand it...why would they treat him like that after they had been applauding him in the tent?  Why did everyone always look at him with fear or disgust or hatred...?

            Kurt clenched his hands into fists in anger.  He hated being different.  He hated not being able to go out into the towns as the other performers could.  He hated always being hidden away when local authorities would come to inspect the circus.  He hated the looks on their faces as they screamed and pointed at him...he hated...he hated...

            Suddenly, Kurt heard soft footsteps moving toward him along the gravelly path.  He curled himself tightly against the boxcar, and did not look up when the pacing steps stopped before him.  He heard someone sigh heavily, and knew immediately who had come to find him.

            "I saw what happened at the exit, Kurt," _Mutter Abby's_ voice said from above him, kind and concerned.  When Kurt did not respond, _Mutter Abby_ knelt down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.  She could feel him shuttering as he tried to stifle the sobs in his throat.

            "I know this is difficult for you," she continued, "To finally have earned your place in the spot light, but be unable to stand there.  Those people, they are different when under the big tent...almost as if they have entered a place where they can see the world in a different way.  Outside of it, though, many of them are still blind to the amazing things...and people...who exist around them..."

            Kurt turned his head slightly to look at the elderly woman as she spoke.

            "But..." Kurt asked with pain in his voice, "But...why do they hate?"

            "Because they do not understand who you are, my Kurt.  You have amazing gifts," she said, and then chuckled softly, "Including a few _you_ do not understand or even know about, apparently.  You are young, and still have much to learn about the world.  But...if you have faith...you will not let the hatred of others blind _you_ to your own worth."

            She touched Kurt's face affectionately and drew the boy into an embrace.  Kurt wiped the tears from his eyes and wrapped one hand around the rosary attached to his belt, thinking about monsters and faith and mutants and humans and...himself.

            "Now," _Mutter Abby_ said, helping him to his feet, "Let us...you and I...talk about that new gift God has blessed you with tonight..."

            -----------------------------------------

            _Bamf_, Kurt thought with a grin.  That was not exactly the noise made when he teleported but it was close enough if anyone ever needed to spell it.

            _Mutter Abby_ had always told him to have faith in himself.  She was not his real mother, but she had been the only one he had ever known.  He wondered from time to time about his real parents, but considered himself lucky to have found a loving family at the circus.

            Now, he sat on the roof of a gorgeous mansion, surrounded by others like him, others who considered him a friend, safe from most of the prejudices of the rest of the world.  Yet, occasionally, that strange sense of loneliness would build up inside of him again, and he would wonder about his place among humans and mutants...and monsters.

            Kurt was pulled from his thoughts as he heard a window open from below.  He heard someone climbing out of the common room onto the roof, and then Remy's voice called out.

            "Kurt? Are you there, _ami_?"

            With a grin, Kurt shifted himself to he could see down and spotted the Cajun looking nervously between him and the ground below.  Remy took a few cautious steps and then hoisted himself up to the level where Kurt was sitting.  Before he began to speak, Remy drew a cigarette from the inside of his jacket and lit it.

            "Just wanted to let you know," Remy said, still glancing nervously at the end of the roof, "That the dinner party is on for six o'clock sharp."

            Kurt nodded but then gave the other man an amused look, "Did the Professor agree to your request for wine?"

            Remy sighed with dramatic disappointment, "No...I am very sad to say.  But, he didn't mind if we had few friendly rounds of poker.  _Merci, mon dieu, _for the kindness."

            "I doubt if Storm is happy about that," Kurt said.

            Remy took a long pull from his cigarette and narrowed his eyes.  He had noticed a certain extra flush on Kurt's face whenever he talked about the aloof Ms. Monroe, and Remy grinned and shook his head.

            "I wouldn't know, _ami_," Remy said, blowing smoke into the air before continuing, "I haven't seen her today.  Anyway...I thought maybe _you_ would like to invite her to our little _soiree_."

            Kurt turned his head in surprise toward the Cajun and, if he had not had his tail to hold him in place, might have stumbled off the roof himself.  Remy chuckled and placed a steadying hand on the blue mutant's shoulder.

            "Whoa," Remy said with a grin, "Love can drive a man to the edge...but not _this_ edge.  Nothing to kiss but concrete below here."

            Kurt grinned, thinking back on his earlier memories, "Thank you, but..._this_ edge is not what makes me nervous."

            "_Oui_...I've noticed," Remy agreed, "But...it's not like asking her for a romantic evening alone.  We're _all_ going to be there, so it's not like..._a date_...or anything."

            Remy saw Kurt's blue skin turn a little paler on the word 'date' and he chuckled again.  Another skill Remy had learned from his life around gamblers and thieves was how to watch people, and he had watched Storm and Kurt step bashfully around each other for months now.  He doubted Storm would ever take love advice from him, so Remy decided he would have to work up Kurt's courage instead.

            _Must be that new heroic streak in me...or maybe I just want the poker game to seem like someone else's idea_, Remy thought with amusement and then began to formulate a strategy for Kurt to successfully approach the intimidating weather goddess.


	7. Chapter Six: Disquiet

Chapter Six:

Professor Xavier maneuvered his chair through the long silver hallways beneath the mansion, a troubled look upon his face.

Ever since his struggle with the strange creature in Stryker's base, Xavier had kept his mind open and constantly monitoring the area around the school for any unusual occurrences among the population of Westchester. He sensed no direct danger to the mansion or his students at the moment, only a kind of disquiet, and an unease that had been growing in his mind all day.

Xavier came to the end of one long hallway, and stopped in front of the entrance to Cerebro. Since Alkalai Lake, he had only tried to use the large machine when necessary for locating mutant signals...or investigating unusual disturbances, like he would attempt to do today.

_Welcome, Professor,_ a soft voice echoed and the large silver doors drew open.

Xavier positioned himself at the end of the long platform and placed the helmet on his head. He took a deep breath before allowing his mind to activate Cerebro.

At once he felt everyone around him, a large cluster of mutant readings around the school grounds, and then becoming mostly human as he stretched his mind further away through the county. He searched each part of the community individually for signs of the disturbance, and sighed in frustration as he failed to find anything out of the ordinary. He knew there was something...he just could not see it yet. He allowed his mind to reach farther and deeper until he locked on something different. He felt a person in distress. This woman's mind was not in the lull of daily life, she was...

-----------------------------------------

_...she was screaming...he heard it as clearly as if the woman had been standing beside him..._

_ Xavier found himself behind a stone building. The sun was moving toward the western horizon and the building's shadows covered most of the back lot..._

_ ...she screamed again..._

_ Xavier glanced around quickly, and felt the cold presence of a demon envelop the woman and muffle her shrieks..._

_ ...there was someone else coming..._

_ Instinctively, Xavier tried to move forward to aid the woman. He could tell she was a mutant, though she herself may not have known it..._

_ ...the Slayer..._

_ Xavier heard running footsteps approaching from behind, and he watched another young woman charge past him toward the demon..._

_ ...holding a knife..._

_ Xavier locked his mind onto the second young woman with surprise. She was not a mutant, but was no ordinary human being either. There was an ancient strength in her...something primal...something Xavier had not sensed in a long time..._

_ ...the demon sneers at the Slayer with its smoky face and drops the woman's body to the ground..._

_ Xavier heard the Slayer growl with fury, and the demon hissed back at her defiantly. In a cloud of black smoke, the demon stole away, leaving the Slayer alone once again with the remains of his victim..._

_ ...the Slayer was in a rage, and did not bother to cover this victim before chasing the demon again..._

_ Xavier listened to her thoughts, and in her fury, she did not feel his presence..._

_ ...Fifth...this is the fifth one...I'm losing...Come on, Faith, get it together..._

_ Xavier watched her go sadly and felt the demon moving further into __Westchester__..._

_ ...closer to the mansion..._

------------------------------------------

Xavier removed the helmet from his head quickly and exited Cerebro. In his mind, he called for Storm and Scott, and asked them to meet him in Dr. McCoy's lab as soon as they could.

------------------------------------------

"_A demon_!?" Henry exclaimed, his great eyes wide against his blue face, "Professor, you don't mean a _real demon_."

Xavier sighed and nodded, "Yes, I'm afraid I do mean a _real_ demon, as strange as it may sound."

"Strange does not quite describe it," Henry replied softly, leaning his chin into one massive hand.

Xavier glanced over at Scott and Storm, who were looking sympathetically at the bewildered physician. As students of the Professor, they were familiar with some of the Council's texts dealing with such creatures, but their knowledge had never been needed until recently.

"Is this creature dangerous?" Storm asked and Xavier nodded gravely.

"Yes, unfortunately," he replied, "I sensed it take a life when I was in Cerebro, and I believe it has killed a number of people over the past day. Mutant and human. However, it is nowhere near as powerful as the being we encountered a few weeks ago."

"Do you know of any way we can stop this creature, Professor?" Scott asked, his arms folded over his chest.

"No, not without doing some research," Xavier admitted, "And that may take more time then we have before it finds its next victim. There is another option, however, that Cerebro revealed. There is a Slayer pursuing the demon, and she has the knowledge needed to stop it."

"What is a Slayer?" Henry asked, his voice still filled with curious wonder.

"Every generation," Storm explained quickly, "One or two young women are born with superhuman strength and knowledge passed down over the centuries to defeat dark beings such as demons and vampires..."

Henry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily, "Vampires...she didn't just say vampire, did she?"

Storm smiled and nodded, "These young woman are not technically mutants, though still more powerful than any ordinary human being..."

Scott glanced at Xavier, "Do you have a location for her? Maybe we can help her out in battling that thing."

"I know where she was when I was in Cerebro," Xavier said, "But Slayers are very difficult to keep a psychic lock on. Based on the pattern of deaths, I would say she is heading straight down Old Salem Pike."

"So, right at us, in other words," Scott said, "Terrific. Storm and I can take a car out and search for them. We'll keep in radio contact here, just in case you sense them moving away from the main road."

"Good idea," Xavier replied and then glanced at the doctor, "Henry, I'd like you to accompany them on this little outing, if you don't mind. Many demon attacks are treatable if you reach the person in time. Perhaps you can get an idea _how_ and _why _this creature is targeting his victims..."

Henry tilted his head toward the Professor and grinned, "Should I bring garlic and my wooden stake?"

Xavier smiled, "Of course, not, Henry. I'm sure the Slayer has stakes you can borrow if any of the undead make an appearance."

The doctor stared at Xavier silently for another moment before, sighing and standing up to gather what he needed for the mission. Xavier shook his head with amusement as he heard Dr. McCoy muttering to himself.

"...Why do I get the feeling the stake comment wasn't a joke..."


	8. Chapter Seven: Asking Ororo

Chapter Seven:

Near the foot of the mansion's front staircase, Kurt paced nervously around, glancing every now and then at the large clock hanging on the opposing wall. Classes would be ending soon, and Kurt was rehearsing how to invite Storm to the gathering Remy had organized for this evening.

He knew he was being a little foolish; fretting like an adolescent about simply speaking to someone he had known and considered a friend for almost a year. But working up the courage to mention the small dinner party to Storm proved to be no easy task.

Kurt had been more than a little intimidated by her when they first met, considering she had knocked him from the scaffolds of his little church with a lightning bolt. Her strength, her beauty and her dedication to her cause had fascinated him. The more he got to know her, the more he appreciated her strengths and understood her anger. However, it was her kind heart and unwavering friendship that had made his attraction to her more obvious to himself...and to some others.

"Relax, already," an amused voice called from the staircase, "If you don't relax a little, you will wear a hole in the carpet, no?"

Kurt looked over toward the steps at Remy, who was reclining against a wall and lazily shuffling a freshly opened deck of cards, breaking them in a little for the night's poker game. The Cajun was shaking his head as he watched the other mutant walk anxiously back and forth between the front door and the main hall. Kurt sighed heavily as he fell into a crouch on the bottom step.

"Sorry," Kurt said, unconsciously curling his tail around the banister, "I just...I'm just...a little uncertain of...what to say to her when I see her."

Remy shrugged, "Well...just say, 'Hi, Storm, we're having a dinner party tonight and I though you would like to come.' Or, 'Good evening, Ms. Monroe, I was sent to invite you to a private get together this _nuit_.' Or you could be direct and say, "Six p.m.! Dining room! Be there! Or else!'"

Kurt shot him an amused glare, "Thank you, _ami_," he said in a fairly good impersonation of his Cajun friend, "...I know _what_ to say...I just don't know what to say, you know..."

"No, "Remy said with a grin," But I do know that if you don't ask her, you will regret it later on."

Kurt sighed again and glanced shyly toward the classroom hall.

"It's not a date..." he muttered, trying to sound calm and normal, "It's just dinner...just dinner and a game of cards..."

Remy pointed a finger at him, "Make that last part very convincing..."

Kurt chuckled and looked over at the clock again.

"Still ten minutes until classes end," he said and stood up again, "I think she normally goes down to the lab before dinner, so she should pass by on the way to the elevator."

Suddenly, they both heard a soft hiss, and then Scott, Henry and Storm speaking quickly as they stepped out of the hidden door.

"That elevator?" Remy asked, and when he looked over at Kurt and saw a look of nervous shock on the blue mutant's face, he asked with concern, "What is it, _ami_? She's right there just..."

"No!" Kurt said and then began to whisper quickly, "She was supposed to be in class! I thought maybe if the students were around and she walked past this way I could invite her with people around me and it would not seem like _I_ was asking her then I would not be so nervous and..."

"It's okay, _ami_," Remy replied, "_Breathe_. This may be better, no? I don't know how you would be able to think with all the _petits_ running around, let alone speak."

Remy was peering carefully around the corner and Kurt ducked beneath him and also glanced toward the elevator. The trio of X-Men seemed to finish their conversation, and Scott went with Henry toward the garages as Storm headed toward the main staircase.

"Maybe this isn't a good time, they look busy," Kurt said softly, "I think I'll _jump_ upstairs and..."

Remy grinned and clamped a hand down on Kurt's shoulder to keep him from teleporting away.

"Oh, no, you don't," he said quietly, and then pulled Kurt to his feet by the arm. "You're here...she's walking this way...a rare moment alone...it's perfect."

Remy straightened the lapels on Kurt's jacket and brushed away imaginary dust with a grin.

"_Parfait,_" the Cajun remarked, "You'll do great..."

Kurt turned to wait for Storm to appear, still looking uncertain, so Remy could not help but leave him with one last thought.

"Besides...I think she likes you, too," he said over the blue mutant's shoulder.

"What?" Kurt replied, but when he looked back, Remy was nowhere to be found. Kurt blinked in surprise, and wondered how the other mutant had disappeared so quickly.

"Kurt?" he heard Storm's voice say, and he turned back toward her, "What are you looking for?"

He grinned bashfully and shook his head, "Oh...nothing. Just...looking..."

"Oh," Storm said, and then added with a playful smile, "Well, I hope you see something interesting while you're looking."

Kurt chuckled and then asked curiously, "No history class today?"

"The Professor asked Scott and I to meet him in the medical bay, so the kids had an extended study hall," she explained.

"Oh," Kurt replied and shifted nervously on his feet.

"I should check up on them though," Storm added quickly, holding his gaze, "to make sure no paper airplane wars broke out."

Kurt nodded, and Storm moved past him toward the classrooms. Before she took a dozen steps, Kurt called out to her.

"Ororo?" he said softly, the sound of her real name making his heart pound.

Storm glanced back at him and Kurt walked over to her.

"Remy and Bobby are trying to arrange a dinner party tonight for the teachers and staff," he said, surprised by the calm tone in his own voice, "I was wondering if you would like to go."

Storm stared at him for a moment, her eyes widening. Kurt could not tell by her expression what she was thinking, but then a small smile touched her lips.

"I'd love to," she replied, and then the smile faded slightly, "But, the Professor needs Scott and Henry and I to investigate a few disturbances near the county line..."

"Oh," Kurt said with disappointment, and then glanced up at her again, "Disturbances? Something dangerous?"

"That's what we're going to find out," Storm replied, a hint of regret in her tone as well.

Kurt nodded and then offered her a grin, "Duty calls sometimes."

"Or _all _the time," Storm replied, and then took a step toward him, "It's still early though. Maybe...we'll be back for dinner...or at least for the poker and dessert."

Kurt smiled and nodded, feeling disappointed about her absence but also elated by her response at the same time. She had said yes...then she said no...then she said _maybe_...

"You knew about dinner and the card game then?" he asked with a frown and Storm laughed.

"No," she replied, "But I noticed Gambit was avoiding conversation with me earlier. The reason just suddenly became clear. He didn't want a lecture, I guess. It's the gambling I don't like, but...unbeknownst and unfortunately for him, I am not a total stranger to the game."

Kurt laughed, "I'll save a hand for you then...for when you get back."

Storm nodded and said quickly before walking away, "Then it's a date."

If certain bone structures had not been present in Kurt's face at the time, his bottom jaw would have literally come in contact with the ground between his feet. Luckily, Storm was no longer facing him as she headed toward her classroom and she would not have seen the resulting mess.

Kurt watched her until she turned the corner and then took a few stumbling steps until he bumped into a wall. He stood stunned for a moment, staring straight ahead but really not seeing too much but the stars in front of his eyes.

"_Bravo_!" a voice announced and Kurt jumped as Remy suddenly appeared beside him again, "Congratulations, _ami_. It is a date, no? She said it..."

"Yes," Kurt said, looking dizzy, "It's a date...oh_,_ I am going to be sick..."

Remy laughed and maneuvered his overwhelmed friend toward the stairs so he could sit. Kurt expression was a mixture of euphoria and apprehension as he contemplated what had just happened. He heard Remy speaking and tried to focus on the other mutant's words.

"And she _likes_ poker, eh?" Remy said with a grin, "Seems we have a hidden shark in our midst. _Tres bien_...I can't wait to win her money."

Kurt glanced up at him with a grin, "No gambling, remember?"

Remy looked annoyed, "_Oui_, _bien_, whatever...but you have to admit playing for money would be more entertaining than what we'll be using..."

"And what is that?" Kurt asked with amusement.

"Swedish Fish," Remy replied unhappily, and then added tragically, "It's times like this I really miss New Orleans."


	9. Chapter Eight: Happy Hour

Chapter Eight:

Faith was running, as she had been since early this morning, but she showed no signs of fatigue. Her footsteps fell heavily along the pavement of the narrow country road, and the knife glistened in the fading light as she held it firmly in her grip. This was probably not the safest thing to do, running full speed with the knife's blade exposed, but neither was chasing a killer demon that had been growing stronger with each victim.

Even though the shadows cast by the surrounding trees were growing, Faith continued forward after the creature, knowing it would not descend into the woods, but keep searching for lives to take.

Since turning onto Old Salem Pike, the number of pedestrians and passing cars had trickled to nothing...which was good.

But Faith also knew the sun was starting to set...which was bad. Once night fell, the demon would be able to move faster and easier; Faith knew then it would be nearly impossible to catch before it attacked somewhere with a large amount of people.

She thought back quickly on signs she had passed today, for a grocery store, for a mall, for anywhere the demon might find to satisfy its appetite. But from the look of this area, she doubted there was even a gas station with five miles.

Suddenly, she jerked to a halt as Old Salem Pike split into two directions. She glanced left and right, letting instinct tell her which way to go, when she noticed the soft glow of neon lights not far from the fork in the road.

_It's a bar_, she said to herself, _And it's just about happy hour..._

A feeling came to her, a sense of the demon, and she knew the creature had noticed the lights as well. She ran down the bend leading toward the bar, and a blinking sign came into view that simply read, _Rusty's_.

-----------------------------------------

"_In other news, more violence broke out today between anti-mutant and pro-mutant demonstrators in Washington D.C..,_" an anchor woman said from the snowy television set hanging behind the bar, "_Each group had arrived in response to new legislation proposed last week to Congress about health care rights for mutant families. It is not clear who initiated the fighting but as many as fifteen people were injured when..._"

The television picture disappeared for a moment and Rusty gave the machine a couple rough taps with his broom.

"Turn that shit off, Rusty," one patron complained from the bar, "I come here to get away from all that mutant crap. That's all that's on TV anymore."

Rusty gave the television one final knock and then stepped back, "Don't know if we'll be gettin' much of anything tonight. Damn machine's been acting funny all day."

"The race is gonna be on in twenty minutes," another patron said, "See if you can get that channel."

"Alright, hang on," Rusty said, smacking the old remote control against his palm a few times before it would work. Finally, he found a fairly clear station playing sports and he heard his customers grumble with approval.

Rusty walked to the opposite end of the bar and sighed heavily. So much for trying to get the barflies some education. He really had nothing against mutants, didn't really have anything against anybody who paid their tab on time. But he knew someday no one was going to be able to ignore the growing amount of violence in the world centering around the 'mutant problem', at least not by just flipping a switch or changing a channel. He reached under the bar, pulled a nearly full trash bag out, tied it shut and headed toward the back door.

Behind the bar was a green metallic dumpster. Rusty stepped outside and walked toward it. The light over the bar's rear entrance flickered on, even though there still was enough daylight out to see clearly. The back of the building faced east and was the first to be covered in shadows at dusk.

Rusty lifted one of the plastic panels that made up the dumpster's top cover and hoisted the garbage inside. His mind lingered on the troubling 'mutant issues' in the world, and he did not hear the soft swish of the demon as is slithered along the darkened back wall.

------------------------------------------

Faith spotted the demon just as it began crossing the parking lot. It skirted around the last few rays of light breaking through the trees and used the shadows of parked cars to move closer to the small building.

She ran directly at the creature, as its semi-misty form shifted around the front entrance. It hesitated for a moment, perhaps deciding if it should wait for someone to exit or move on to the next location. Then, the noise of a slamming door echoed from the back of the bar, and the demon shot around with terrifying speed to snatch its victim.

Faith followed the creature's path and then walked cautiously against the side wall as she approached the corner. She peered around, and through a haze of black smoke, she saw the form of a man. He was facing away from her, as he lifted garbage into the dumpster and Faith resisted the urge to cry out in warning to him.

The demon had its back to her, too, so it must not have sensed her immediate presence. It was getting bolder in its actions, considering she had been unable to stop it the first five times it killed today.

Faith examined the demon closely before she made a move. Her face melted into a vicious grin when she saw that its head and neck were both clearly defined against its wraith-like body. She flexed her fingers over the knife's hilt and her mind switched into full on Slayer mode as she prepared for the fight.

------------------------------------------

As he headed back to the door, Rusty sighed again, and wondered sadly why so many people did not realize there were worse things to worry about in the world besides mutants.

Before his fingers could touch the handle, Rusty was shoved away from the bar and rolled painfully across the gravelly pavement. He coughed, the wind knocked out of his lungs, then he tilted his head and stared in horror at the figure before him.

The demon rose into the air and hovered over Rusty, glaring down at him with hungry yellow eyes. Using what seemed to be only black smoke, the demon grabbed Rusty by the throat and lifted him from the ground. He tried to scream as he felt the cold mist wrap around his body, but he could not draw in a breath.

The demon's eyes began to glow, when an angry voice roared from behind. It turned its disembodied head around and spotted the Slayer just as she stabbed a blade at its neck. Her blow missed its mark as the creature shifted its head down within its cold misty smoke, but it howled in pain from the wound. The mist holding its victim faded away and Rusty fell to the ground. With one last enraged shriek, the demon seemed to dissipate and disappeared into the shadows around them.

Rusty gasped for air as he recovered from the demon's attack. After a few moments, he felt a pair of hand helping him to a sitting position on the ground. He glanced up and saw a beautiful young woman staring down at him with angry, but satisfied eyes.

"You okay, old-timer?" she asked, her voice sound much harder and older than her physical years.

Rusty stared at her with disbelief and then nodded, wincing at the lingering pain in his neck, as she helped him to his feet.

"Yeah..." he managed in a shaky voice, "Christ, knows how, but I think I'm still alive..."

The young woman grinned at him, "Glad to hear it. Another second or two and you'd've been cracked open like a demon cola."

Rusty gaped at her, "What the hell was it?"

The young woman stood up and looked at the blade of her knife bitterly.

"You really _don't_ want to know," she replied and then seemed to search the area with her eyes for a moment before she continued, "You know any place else nearby that would have more than a few early bird drunks on hand?"

Rusty glared at her, but decided since she did just save his life, he would let her comment pass.

"There's a Getty Gas station about a mile down this way," he said, pointing down to the left, "And there's a private school about three miles the other way. Why?"

"You were an appetizer, buddy," she said, a touch of condescension in her voice, "That thing's looking for the main course. That school? It still in session?"

Rusty nodded, not liking her tone, but not about to criticize a determined woman with a big knife.

"Thanks," she replied and then ran off in the direction of the school.

"That's what I was going to say," he muttered, and watched the strange young lady until she had disappeared down the road.


	10. Chapter Nine: Some Quick Notes

Chapter Nine:

Using information gathered by Cerebro, Professor Xavier had been able to piece together a rough path that the disturbances followed through Salem County and into Westchester. Cyclops, Storm and Dr. McCoy had driven quickly to the first location, but the police had already been notified of the body and the area was inaccessible. The next two victims had also been discovered, and local authorities were investigating those deaths as well.

The presence of the police were definite proof that _something_ had occurred in the places the Professor had identified, but based on intercepted radio communications from the police, the exact causes of death were still a mystery. After some time searching, the three X-Men came upon the fourth victim in an alley.

Dr. McCoy grimaced as he drew back the old tarp that had been deliberately placed over the body. The man's eyes were closed, but expression of terror frozen on his features made McCoy think the same person who had taken the time to cover the man probably had shut them. The corpse's skin was flaccid and gray, but also quite dry, as if he had been partially mummified.

McCoy stood up and drew the collar of his coat up to hide his face. He had covered as much of his fur-lined skin as he could with long pants and the heavy jacket, but his head was only concealed with an oversize Fedora hat, leaving enough exposed that the other two X-Men could see the confusion and frustration on his face.

"Strange..." McCoy muttered to himself, and then repeated in a louder tone, "Very strange. I've never seen anything quite like this."

He leaned over and covered the body again respectfully, before pulling off his protective rubber gloves one hand at a time.

"Do you have any idea what that creature did to him?" Storm asked.

McCoy sensed her anger at the abominable deed, and exhaled heavily.

"No," he began, "It almost looks like...well, what a spider does with its prey. Securing the fly in the web, and then draining it of its inner fluids."

"Except these aren't flies," Cyclops added, "And this thing doesn't use a web. It goes and finds the victims."

"And covers a lot of ground as it does," McCoy said thoughtfully, before glancing up at the other two with a frown, "Westchester isn't exactly the middle of nowhere, after all. It seems our demon is a little picky when it comes to its meals."

"Maybe it needs certain people," Cyclops offered, "The Professor said it had killed mutants and humans but there might a common trait all the victims share."

McCoy tilted his head, "Well...all the victims we know of have been found in isolated areas. This man was walking down an alley. The one before him had been alone in a parking garage. It makes sense to single out someone, take them one at a time, rather than attack a group of people."

"So it's not selective, just looking for convenient prey," Storm said, staring at the nearby dumpster with a frown, "And, maybe, it's not strong enough yet to take on a group of people...or one very powerful person."

Cyclops and McCoy followed her gaze toward the green metal dumpster and noticed the large dent just above where the body was laying.

"You mean that Slayer the Professor was talking about?" McCoy asked curiously and then glanced down at the body, "If I were the demon, I think I'd be worried. Our Miss Slayer looks a little upset about the creature's murderous habits."

"And an angry Slayer on the loose can be a very dangerous thing, too," Cyclops said, exchanging a strange grin with Storm, "I've had some interactions with one in the past."

"Then it may be best that we keep moving until we find her or the demon," Storm said firmly, "Let's contact the Professor and find out where to go next."

-----------------------------------------

"Chinese food'll be here in about an hour," Bobby said as he spotted Rogue headed toward him from the Library.

"Shh..." she replied with a grin, "Keep it down. This is supposed to be a private dinner, remember? _Official_ X-Men only..."

Bobby shrugged, "Don't worry about it. Everybody else is getting stuffed on pizza in the dining room."

"What do you mean 'everybody else'?" Rogue teased him in an exaggerated Southern accent, "If I am not mistaken, Mr. Drake, I do sense a bit of garlic about you."

Bobby grinned and quickly brushed his lips against hers, "Just making an appearance so nobody gets suspicious."

Rogue chuckled and then wrinkled her nose and waved a hand in front of her face.

"Pfew...too much garlic," she said, "Sometimes it's a good thing you can't give me long kisses yet..."

Bobby frowned curiously at her for a moment, a little uncertain how to react when Rogue made comments about her power, but then he gave her a wicked grin and twirled her around. Rogue gasped in surprise and wrapped her gloved arms around his neck. Bobby drew her close and leaned his head against her hair.

"Yet," he whispered and snuck another quick kiss before he let her go.

-----------------------------------------

Author's note: SrySoShrt :)


	11. Chapter Ten: Too Close for Comfort

Chapter Ten:

            As night began to fall over Westchester, Cyclops, Storm and Henry came to the sight of the demon's last attack.  It was a familiar locale; Rusty's bar had always been a landmark when driving toward Xavier's School for the Gifted, though not one frequented by the staff (or at least, most of them).  When the Professor's intuitions directed the X-Men to the small establishment, Cyclops could not help but feel very uneasy about how close the demon's path was getting to the school.

            Cyclops removed his heavy visor in exchange for his ruby-lens glasses before entering the bar.  Storm and Henry were waiting outside, circling the lot for signs of a struggle...or for another victim.

            Pushing the weathered swinging door inward, Cyclops stepped into the dimly lit bar and felt a small smile touch his face.  The smell of polished wood and cigarette smoke filled the room, and the bustle of about two dozen people was like a hum beneath the steady drone of the television.  There were a few figures seated at the bar, three younger customers playing pool to the left, and the rest of the patrons were scattered at different tables, chatting pleasantly among themselves.

            Scott took a deep breath as he headed toward the bar, watching Rusty lazily drying glasses.  Memories of his youth at Xavier's school came flooding back so quickly that he paused halfway between the front door and his destination.  His gaze shifted until his eyes stopped on a booth near the back, and for a moment the memories caught him.

            He remembered the night he and Jean had snuck off the school grounds just to find the old pub around the corner.  There had only been ten students at Xavier's mansion then.  They all had been in their late teens, and were well aware of the pub around the corner.  Scott had always joked about breaking curfew to go to Rusty's bar, but it was Jean who finally called his bluff.  So one late night, they ran off down the dark road, searching for the soft neon glow of the bar's sign.

            It had been very late by the time they reached their destination, and when they walked in, they immediately settled into one dark booth, hoping the bartender would not notice they were under-aged and kick them out...or worse, call the Professor.  Scott remembered reaching across the dark wood table and taking Jean's hand, feeling her racing pulse and seeing the thrill in her eyes about their little night of escape.

            When the bartender finally approached them, the man just smiled, introduced himself as Rusty, and asked them what they wanted to order.  Scott had deepened his voice slightly and ordered a beer.  Jean had laughed and ordered the same.  He remembered the skeptical look Rusty had given them over his order pad, before the bartender confirmed their order for _two O'Doul's_ and walked away.

            But...that was the past.  And many things had changed.  And the only Jean with him now was in that memory...

            Scott glanced forward again, and saw Rusty watching him curiously.  He quickly composed himself, remembering his mission, being Cyclops again, and finished his path to the bar.

            "Well, hello, Scott," Rusty said with a small smile, "Been a long time."

            Rusty held out his hand, and Cyclops shook it graciously.

            "Yeah, it has," he replied, "Glad to see you're still doing well."

            Rusty nodded, "I suppose I am.  How're things at the school?"

            "Fine," Cyclops replied quickly, feeling certain Rusty's next question would be about when Stryker's men had raided the school but the older man just set the glass he had been drying on the counter and sighed.

            Rusty leaned forward and gave Cyclops and hard look, "You've got something you need to talk to me about...right?"

            Cyclops nodded, and Rusty continued, "You got any of the others with you?"

            "Yeah," Cyclops replied, "They're waiting outside..."

            Rusty wiped his hands on a dish cloth and motioned toward the door, "Meet me out back then."

            With another nod, Cyclops left the bar quickly and signaled for Storm to pull the car around.  Rusty appeared through the back door, carrying with him another bag of garbage, going through the same actions he had only a short time before.

            "I don't know what it was," Rusty explained to the three X-Men after Storm and Henry had joined them, "But I do know, if it wasn't for that little girl with the knife, you'd'a probably found me lying here cold and lonely, if you know what I mean..."

            Storm frowned, "What did it look like?"

            "The girl or the knife?" Rusty asked, looking confused.

            "The creature that attacked you..." Storm replied patiently, "What did it look like?"

            Rusty tilted his head a moment in thought, glancing between them and the bar, as if he was struggling to answer.

            "Now that you ask me..." he began, "I don't really know.  Ain't that a bitch?  Man gets sucker punched by God knows what...all I really remember is the girl and her knife.  The rest...dang it, I know what I saw but...it's just getting all hazy when I try to think of it again."

            "Then, the girl..." Henry chimed in, "What did she look like?"

            "Oh...pretty young thing, dark hair...wouldn't think a little girl like that would be carrying such a dangerous weapon...but you know kids these days..." Rusty replied with a shrug, trying not to stare too much at the large blue doctor.

            "And she stopped it from attacking you?" Cyclops asked, and Rusty looked at him with puzzlement again.

            "Stopped what?" Rusty asked, and then touched his temple and closed his eyes, "Oh, right, that...that thing.  I don't know.  Thinking about it now, I'm not sure what all the fuss was about.  It really just...doesn't seem that important anymore..."

            "Not important?" Henry said with surprise, "Sir, I assure you that..."

            But he paused as Storm raised a hand toward him and shook her head.  She glanced at Cyclops, and he nodded knowingly.

            "No, it probably wasn't," Cyclops replied to Rusty, "But that girl might still be trouble, running around with a knife like that.  Where did you say she headed?"

            Rusty's hazy expression cleared a little bit as his thoughts were turned away from the demon.

            "Off down the right fork," he said and then gave them and wary look, "Right toward your school, I'm sorry to say.  Maybe you'uns should go find her before she hurts somebody.  Dang kids think they're so hot carrying around weapons like that..."

            Cyclops shook the bartender's hand again, "Thanks for all the help, Rus.  We have to keep our students safe after all."

            Rusty nodded approvingly, "Absolutely.  Glad I could help."

            They said goodnight to him and quickly got back in the car.  Henry looked between the other two X-Men and frowned, slightly annoyed at the barkeep.

            "Why...all of a sudden...would that man feel _that demon_ wasn't important?" he asked aloud, "It can't be a regular patron at the bar or anything..."

            "It happens sometimes," Storm answered quietly as she drove the car out of the lot, "When someone comes in contact with a demonic being...and lives...their memory of the event usually fades very quickly.  Creatures like that don't want to be remembered, that way they are more difficult to identify or track."

            "Easier on the survivors, too," Cyclops added in a hard voice, "They don't have to live with the traumatic memories of...those events..."

            On the last words, the tone in his voice changed.  Storm glanced over at her teammate with concern, but Cyclops had his eyes closed, as he removed his glasses and put his visor back on.  Once it was secure, he gave Storm a reassuring nod, and a not-so-convincing smile.

            Henry was musing on these new facts about demons curiously, "How is it then that our Miss Slayer can pursue such things?"

            "That's what they're trained to do," Cyclops replied, "And their actions are usually monitored by an expert in demon behavior called a Watcher.  But, the Professor believes this Slayer is working on her own, which can be just as dangerous as the creature itself."

            "Do you think we should check in at the mansion?" Storm asked and Cyclops shook his head.

            "No," he replied, "If the demon gets too close, the Professor will know and notify us."

            "And if the Slayer entered the school grounds?" Henry asked.

            "I don't think she's a danger to anyone at the school," Storm replied, "She's looking for the demon...not mutants..."


	12. Chapter Eleven: Challenging Fate

Chapter Eleven:

In between open boxes of lo mien and half eaten platters of General Tao's chicken, Remy skillfully dealt a new round of cards to the other X-Men around him. His expression was only a little smug, his pile of Swedish fish openly challenged by Rogue, whose own winnings so far were well earned. Bobby and Peter both looked a little unhappy, since neither of them had won a round yet, while Mary and Kurt were middling in their share of the sugary sea creatures.

"Alright," Remy said with a grin, "Now that we are nearing time for dessert, the stakes for our little Swedish friends have risen, no?"

There was a general chuckle as the others picked up their cards, though Remy's constant witty banter and taunts were beginning to annoy those that were losing. The Cajun only fed off of their glares, however, hoping to stir up a real challenge from his teammates by instigating them.

"Quit babbling," Rogue shot back with a grin, "Finish dealing so I can win the rest of your fish."

"You think so, _chere_?" Remy asked with a flirtatious grin, "Remy does not give up his little Nemos so easily..."

The others stared at him a moment with confusion.

"Little Nemos?" Bobby asked and grinned, before leaning over to Rogue, "Was that supposed to be dirty or not?"

Rogue laughed and smacked Bobby on the arm playfully. Peter was frowning as he stared at his cards, and Mary seemed to be losing interest in the game all together since it took Remy ten minutes just to banter and deal.

Only Kurt seemed distant from the dinner conversation, glancing at the clock almost every minute. He had tried not to seem too nervous when they all sat down for dinner, waiting anxiously for Storm to return, but as the first hour ticked onto the second, he could not help but feel disappointed that her X-Men duties had kept her busy tonight. His tail waved slowly back and forth behind him, he picked up his new hand of cards and stared at them indifferently.

Rogue was sitting to his left and she noticed his low mood when she glanced at him. She saw him sneak another peek at the clock and touched his arm reassuringly.

"Don't worry," she whispered to him under the general banter, "She'll get here."

Kurt gave her a grateful smile, but then sighed heavily, "I don't know...whatever they were going to investigate...it seemed very important..."

"Well..." Rogue added, nudging him and grinning, "If not...she'll have to give you a rain check. Oh, and that _terrible pun_ was..._so...completely...intended._"

Kurt smiled, but still looked disappointed. The one time he actually found the courage to finally invite Storm on a semi-date, and she was drawn away by duty. But, that was one of the things he liked about her. Her conviction, her dedication to who she was and her role as part of the X-Men...it was almost intimidating...

_Not almost..._ Kurt thought to himself, and sighed again.

The others were beginning the new round when Kurt put down his cards neatly and stood up.

"I think..." he said softly, "I will go get something more to drink. Does anyone else need anything?"

A round of 'no thanks' and other replies circled through the small group, and then Remy leveled a finger at Kurt menacingly.

"But hurry back, _ami_," he said, sounding quite serious, "Thirst will not save your fish from my grasp..."

Kurt chuckled and shook his head as he headed out of the small lounge toward the kitchen.

As Mary watched him go, she felt a strange sense of warning rise up in her mind again. She frowned, and thought back on the previous night's dream. She had awoken with the same dread then...the same inner sense of warning...but was it real...or was she simply mistaking a real dream for one of her visions...

"Mary?" Peter called to her, and she glanced up at him, "It's your bid..."

"Oh, sorry," she replied, and tried to focus on the game as the small nagging voice in her mind repeated its warning.

-----------------------------------------

Faith stood among a short row of trees and glanced around in frustration.

The demon had moved fast, and she had lost the main trail. She crouched low in the heavily foliage and closed her eyes. With a few deep breaths, she refocused her mind and tried to let her instincts tell her tired body which way to go next. She had scaled a tall stone wall to enter the grounds of Xavier's School for the Gifted, and she could see many windows in the large building begin to glow as the remaining light in the sky faded away.

A school full of lively, healthy children certainly would have been a prime target for the demon she was trailing, so she decided to give the grounds a quick sweep search before she moved on. She stood and ran quickly, silently, toward the school. She moved quickly up the first set of stone steps she found and moved stealthily toward the outer wall.

Faith stopped before the first window she came to, and glanced inside. The only light in the room was from a television set. There were several children sitting on a sofa, the oldest could not have been more than twelve or thirteen, and they were happily surfing through the channels in search of suitable cartoons. Faith smiled a little bit as she watched two boys wrestle for the remote and heard the others laughing at their antics.

Moving along the wall, Faith found another window, and heard people talking loudly inside. She peered in, and saw a group of adults sitting around a small table and playing cards. She wondered for a moment if they were the teachers or faculty, but since she did not sense or see the demon, she continued her sweep down the wall.

Finally, she came to a set of four windows which bowed out slightly in the middle. When she looked inside, she could tell the room was a kitchen, the dim light reflecting dully off the wide silver refrigerator. She did not see anyone at first, until suddenly she heard a soft sound and saw what looked like a cloud of dark smoke settling near the kitchen's main entrance.

Her pulse quickened as she saw a pair of yellow eyes staring out from the shadows. The figure did not seem to notice her, and turned its back to the windows. She could not tell what it was doing, but she did see a long tail stretch upward from its back and circle toward its head.

Faith ground her teeth with satisfaction, and pushed one window open quietly. The demon-like figure did not move as she lifted the bottom pane upward into place. The scent of brimstone wafted from the room. Faith kept her eyes locked on the vague creature in the shadows...and drew the long knife from her belt.

-----------------------------------------

In his office on the second floor, Xavier was pouring over ancient texts and Cerebro's most recent information about the day's disturbances. He glanced up, and stared out of his window over the dark lawns.

A sudden sense came to him, a vague presence on the school's grounds that he could not easily lock onto. He closed his eyes and concentrated...

-----------------------------------------

Remy was leaning forward on his elbows, smirking evilly at his competitors as he glanced around at them with his intense red eyes.

"While we wait for _Monsieur _Wagner to return..." he said, "...why don't we make out bets a little more interesting? Gambit is quite confident that the fates are blessing him tonight with such an impossibly excellent selection of cards...so who would like to challenge fate? Double or nothing...winner takes all...what do you say?"

Bobby and Peter looked very uncertain, thinking the fates had left them Swedish Fish-less for the night, but Rogue narrowed her eyes at the confident Cajun and called his bluff.

"Okay, Mr. LeBeau," she replied confidently, "Double or nothin', if you think luck's gonna be on your side this round. What do you say, Mary? Do you see _fortune_ in Remy's future?"

Rogue glanced to her right, but Mary was staring at the door to the hallway again.

"Mary?" Rogue called again.

"Oh, sorry..." Mary replied, without turning around. There was something wrong. She knew it...the voice in her mind was becoming more urgent. Warning her...warning them...about what?

"Are you okay?" Rogue asked with a frown and Mary nodded slowly.

"Yeah," she said and then glanced over at the others, "I'm sorry...my head's just not in this game. I think...I'm going to...go check on Kurt..."

Her voice was soft and distant. Rogue stared at her and wondered with alarm if Mary might be staring to have another seizure. Dr. McCoy was out with Storm and Cyclops, so Rogue considered calling to the Professor. But, Mary quickly stood up and headed out into the hall.

Rogue turned back to face forward in her chair, feeling worried and hoping the doctor would get back soon...just in case.

-----------------------------------------

When Kurt reached the kitchen door, he was thinking of Storm. When they had met, when they had been in the base at Alkalai Lake, the past nine months since then...and he was smiling softly. He had been with her, outside the Dark Cerebro, and she had told him she had faith in him. She believed in him and that he could get them safely through the heavy metal doors where the Professor had been held prisoner. She believed in him, and he had done it.

Kurt stood just outside the kitchen door and grinned just before he vanished. A moment later he reappeared on the other side and glanced around the kitchen with satisfaction. He was getting better at teleporting without a visual mark, as long as he was familiar with where he was going.

He looked around the room one more time, making sure there were no students lurking around who might have witnessed his antics and then he grinned again. He hoped Storm would not be too upset when he told her about his 'practice jumps' from room to room, but he doubted she would mind.

Kurt turned toward the cabinet where the sodas were kept and opened the two wooden doors with his hands. He used his dexterous tail to grasp a bottle and lower it to the counter below. He decided to grab a few more and bring them back to the party. If he could not save a round of poker for Storm, at least he could offer her something to drink when she arrived.

With his mind completely preoccupied with thoughts on the weather goddess, Kurt did not hear the kitchen window open and he did not hear the Slayer step slowly toward him.

-----------------------------------------

Faith could see the demon more clearly now. Apparently, its form had solidified almost completely since the sun had set. She could easily target its head and neck, even in the dark room, and its tail moved rhythmically back and forth.

Her mind was completely locked on her target. She did not notice the room was not filled with the chill that normally accompanied a demon. She did not notice the figure's features, its eyes lacking the terrible hate and anger a true demon would have had.

The idea of a mutant never cross her raging mind, as her fury at the murders and at her inability to save the other victims blinded her to her own true intuitions.

Her fingers flexed around the knife's gilded handle and she wrapped both hands around it as she raised the knife over her head and aimed for the demon's neck.

-----------------------------------------

Mary was walking forward quickly. Her heart was racing with unexplained terror as she paced toward the kitchen.

_She doesn't know he's not the one..._

The thought played over and over again in her head.

_Kurt's in danger...there's someone here...Kurt's in danger..._

-----------------------------------------

Xavier opened his eyes and inhaled sharply, sensing the Slayer.

As his mind locked on Faith's, he felt all thoughts leave her except for one. The darkest one...the deepest one...the most primitive of instincts...

In her mind, he saw a Slayer...he saw all the Slayers...racing backward over the centuries...until there was only _one...there was only the first...her wild eyes staring at him through the flames of a campfire...only wanting to protect...only wanting to save...only wanting to kill..._

-----------------------------------------

Mary was running now.

_Danger...danger...Kurt's in danger...and she doesn't know he's not the one she looking for..._

"_Kurt!_" Mary screamed out to him suddenly, "_Kurt! Run! Get out!"_

-----------------------------------------

A soda bottle fell from the counter and shattered on the floor as Kurt started in surprise at the sound of Mary's urgent voice echoing from the hall.

"_Kurt! Run! Get out!"_

He took a few steps forward in confusion, just as Mary burst through the heavy wooden door. It slammed against the cabinets, and Kurt nearly jumped back when he saw the horror on her face.

Mary was staring over his shoulder at the blade of a knife, which glinted as light from the hall spilled into the room.

"_Look out!_" she screamed pointing behind him.

Kurt spun around with quick reflexes and saw the blade's wielder plunge the weapon down toward him.

_BAMF._


	13. Chapter Twelve: Mistaken

Chapter Twelve:

            _"Kurt!  Run!  Get out!"_

            -----------------------------------------

            Rogue inhaled sharply as Mary's voice shrieked from the hallway.

            She looked around at Bobby, Peter and Remy, who were all looking toward the door with surprise.

            _"Look out!"_ they heard Mary shout again.  Without a word, they all got to their feet and rushed out toward the kitchen, unspoken action, impulse created by their training.

            -----------------------------------------

            _BAMF._

            Faith stumbled forward from the momentum of her blade, as it missed its mark and cut only into a cloud of blue smoke.  She coughed as the bitter scent of brimstone filled her lungs and then glanced upward.

            She met the horrified glare of the young woman standing at the open kitchen door.  Faith turned her head back and forth searching for demon.  There was another soft sound, and over the young woman's shoulder, Faith saw a pair of yellow eyes appear out of thin air.

            "Get out of the way!" Faith shouted urgently to the girl, and shoved past her.  She would reach the demon before it took hold of another victim.

            -----------------------------------------

            Kurt appeared in the hall behind Mary, and took a protective step toward her.  The stranger with the knife spotted him and pushed her way out of the kitchen.

            Mary tripped and fell to the floor.  She saw Kurt take a step back as his attacker lunged forward again.

            "Stop!" she shouted as the attacker slashed the knife back and forth. 

            Kurt dodged each blow skillfully but had to teleport to avoid the young woman's swift movements.  He appeared the first time, just a few feet away, but had to vanish again as the attacker swung around and drove the blade toward him.  He reappeared behind her, and she landed one powerful blow with her elbow to his stomach.  Kurt hit one wall painfully and saw the attacker spin and raise the knife over her head.

            -----------------------------------------

            Faith grinned as she stood over the fallen demon, and prepared to finally kill the creature.  Suddenly, her arms were held firmly in the air, and Faith turned her head and saw a silver face staring down at her.  The new grip around her wrists felt as hard as metal and she struggled to get free.

            Unable to loose her hands, Faith leapt upward and kicked at the wall, causing herself and her new enemy to fall backward onto the floor.  The impact was heavy, and she rolled to the side away from her attacker, knife still in hand.

            Faith was on her feet quickly, as was the man who had held her.  She slashed at him with the knife, but the blade only scraped noisily against his impervious skin.  She took a step backward and shivered as the room's temperature seemed to drop.  She tried to turn and run from her new enemies, but the floor was coating over with a layer of ice.

            Faith felt the second attacker's strong grip clamp on her shoulders.  She fought back, punching at him, but her fists only ricocheted painfully off his arms and chest.

            To her left, she saw the young woman from the kitchen helping the demon to his feet.  Three others were also staring at her with confusion.  The one causing the ice had his arm extended, and it seemed to be almost transparent.  Another had strange red eyes and a second young woman was also helping the demon.

            Faith fought back panic.  She had not found one demon, but an entire nest of them.  Then, a voice echoed in her mind, and she turned her head to see another figure coming down the dark hallway.

            _Do not be afraid, Faith,_ the voice said, _We mean you no harm._

            "Peter," the voice said again, this time aloud for all to hear, "Do not harm her, but please relieve the Slayer of her weapon.  Mr. Drake, I think that's enough ice for the moment, unless I am to sled the rest of the way down the hall..."

            The voice was calming, and the others responded to it immediately.  There was even a touch of approval and humor at the actions of the creatures around her.  As the speaker moved forward, Faith saw an older man in a wheelchair roll into the light.

            She glared at the new arrival, as the strong person holding her removed the knife from her hands.  However, the older man simply gave her a reassuring smile.

            Faith glanced back toward the demon as she heard one of the young women speak.

            -----------------------------------------

            "Are you alright, Kurt?" Rogue asked when she saw him gripping his chest.

            Kurt nodded slowly, looking downward, "Yes, I think so..."

            He glanced over at the Slayer, who was shaking her head angrily.

            "You don't understand!" she shouted, and Kurt winced on her next words, "_He's a demon!_"

            "No, he's not!" Rogue shouted back with her own fury.

            The Professor held up one hand as he spoke, "Please, Faith, let us explain..."

            "Is that why you attacked him?" Mary interrupted, stepping toward the Slayer constrained in Peter's grasp, "Why would you think he's a demon?"

            Faith ground her teeth furiously, "I've been tracking it all day!  I know what the hell it looks like!"

            Kurt frowned and glanced over at the Slayer, meeting her glare with a strange pain in his eyes.  Faith looked at him silently for a moment, feeling the warmth returning to the room, and the hearing the Professor speak again.

            "Whatever it is you were searching for," Xavier said softly, "Mr. Wagner is not it."

            Faith looked at him with confusion.

            "We are not your enemies," the Professor continued, "Listen to your instincts.  You will know that the evil you seek is not here..."

            The tension left her limbs as Faith glanced around the hallway again.  She looked at Kurt...at Bobby...upward at Peter as he released her arms and allowed his skin to return to normal...

            Faith turned her head back toward Xavier, and heard his voice in her head again.

            _I know who you are, Faith,_ the Professor said to her, _I know of the Council.  I was a part of it...before they no longer accepted me there..._

            "You're...mutants," Faith replied, looked at each of the X-Men in turn before her eyes settled on Kurt again, "You're..._all_..._mutants_?"

            Kurt looked away from her and took one deep, painful breath.  There was still something in her face that doubted her own words.  It was not the first time he had been mistaken for something other than a mutant...

            Faith turned and looked at Xavier again as he spoke, curiosity replacing her anger.

            "Yes, we are," the Professor said, "And you are a Slayer, also no longer accepted by the Council.  I sensed your movements through our county since this morning...and the movements of the demon you seek."

            "A demon I still need to kill," Faith said coolly, "So if I can have my weapon back..."

            She tried to snatch the knife from Peter, who raised his hand out of her reach.  She smirked bitterly and shook her head.

            "I _need_ to go," she said, "If you were part of the Council then you understand why..."

            "Indeed," Xavier said with a frown, "I have felt the demon's power growing, which is why you may need our help."


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Discussion and a Decis...

Chapter Thirteen:

Xavier called Scott, Storm and Henry back to the mansion, and directed Peter and Bobby to bring Faith down to the lower levels. They took her to one of the small meeting rooms, and as they awaited the arrival of the other three X-Men.

In the time until their return, Xavier took a few minutes to contact on old friend, who might be able to give him more information about this new Slayer.

-----------------------------------------

"Good Lord," Rupert Giles said over the telephone. Luckily, Giles was still in California, watching over the Slayer in Sunnydale, so the Professor had been able to contact his old colleage quickly.

"I had a feeling that was how you would reply," Xavier said with a nostalgic grin, "I take it you've met this Slayer before."

"Met?" Giles replied with a nervous chuckle, "Yes, you could say that. But, you could also say she trained with us, she befriended us...and then tried to aid an evil warlock in his attempts to open of the Hellmouth and take over the world."

Xavier frowned, "You mean when the high school was destroyed?"

"Yes," Giles said, "But few remember that as the cause. Though I'm not surprised you were not affected by the glamour, as most other humans are."

"No, thankfully, I'm not," Xavier said, "And many of the students here also are able to see through supernatural deceptions."

"Another benefit of the mutant gene that the Council refuses to accept," Giles said, and then sighed, "But I would keep a close watch on Faith if I were you, Charles. Especially considering how many students you have there now."

"You really believe that she is that much of a threat?" Xavier asked, "She was mistaken earlier, thinking one of the mutants here was the demon she sought. But she has not made any other threats to him or the others since then..."

"She may not be a direct threat," Giles said, "But...she is very unstable. She has suffered many traumas in her life, and she uses her gifts as she sees fit. If you try to prevent her from achieving her goal, she may try to escape using force."

"That's why I'm going to offer her our aid," Xavier said, "The demon she was following is still a threat to this school and the surrounding population, and I fear she will not be able to defeat it alone."

"You might find it difficult to win her trust, Charles," Giles replied sadly, "But...I do hope you can. She is troubled...and very lost..."

-----------------------------------------

Faith sat at one end of a long silver table, swiveling back and forth in her chair, looking with annoyance at her 'hosts.' The expression on her face was also mixed with mocked disinterest in her situation, but her mind was reeling as she tried to figure out a way to get out of this school and back to her mission.

She tilted her head against the back of the chair and regarded the others with a smirk. The big guy with the Russian accent was standing near the door, his arms folded over his broad chest. The blonde haired ice making guy was sitting at the other end of the table, glancing at his watch every minute or so. She knew they were waiting for some more of their crime fighting buddies to show up, but each second that passed was time lost in her hunt.

Faith sighed heavily and leaned forward, "So...you guys are mutants?"

Bobby and Peter looked over at her and she grinned.

"That's cool," she continued, "Never met a real live mutant before. I guess you think that's pretty weird, huh?"

"Not really," Bobby replied, keeping a civil tone, "Most of the students here haven't ever known a mutant...until they realize they are one."

"Students," she said, sounding doubtful and then laughing, "Yeah, I heard of this place before. G-man back in Sunnydale talked about it sometimes. Part of his _lessons_ for us Slayers. How to tell a demon from some mutant who just looks like a demon..."

"Kurt's not a demon," Peter said, a touch of anger breaking through his even expression, and Faith laughed again.

"Never said I passed that part of the course, big man," she said with a broad grin, and then looked down, "Guess I'll have to apologize to the blue guy for that. It was nothing personal, just doing my job. Which is why I need to get out of here..."

She glanced up at them again, and there was a strange determination in her face, a warning to stay out of her way.

Bobby noticed Peter straighten his shoulders, almost in expectation of attack. Then, they heard the Professor's voice in their mind, letting them know the others had returned.

Faith turned her head to see the new arrivals enter and raised her eye brows in surprise as they filed into room. The first was another tall man, wearing a black and red visor over his eyes. The second was a white haired woman, and Faith immediately sensed the power around her in the air. The third walked in with the Professor, a beastly looking man with a long coat covering most of his blue furred body.

"I'm going to go check on Kurt," the big blue guy said, giving Faith one measuring glance before leaving the room.

"I'll go with you," the white haired woman replied, staring angrily at Faith, "If that's alright, Professor?"

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea," Xavier replied with a kind smile as Storm and the doctor left. As the door closed, Faith chuckled.

"Damn, it's Smurf central around here," she said, taking the glares of the others with a measure of amusement. Only the Professor kept his expression civil and pleasant.

"Mutants come in many forms, Faith," he explained calmly, "And with many gifts. Which is what I want to discuss with you right now."

"Oh, really?" she shot back, and then shrugged, "Okay, Chuck, let's hear your sales pitch."

Faith took a fair about of pleasure out of the fact that the other X-Men looked increasingly furious at her disrespect, but she failed to even break Xavier's steady gaze.

"You're after the demon of Depletion," the Professor said, "Its proper name is not entirely pronounceable in common speech, as it is defined by the sensation of being robbed of one's life force instead of by an actual term. This corresponds to its form as well as its actions. It can only be invoked through ritual and is unstable if the ritual in not complete. Stop me if any of this is incorrect..."

Faith stared at him a moment in quiet surprise and then shrugged again, trying to seem unimpressed.

"Five by five so far," she replied, "I watched a bunch of suckheads do their dorky ceremony this morning. They didn't really get a chance to say all the magic words before I dusted them."

Xavier nodded thoughtfully, "Which is why your earlier attempts to destroy it were unsuccessful..."  
Faith leaned forward and glared at him, "They were only _unsuccessful_ cause I was waiting for it to become more solid. Don't try to lecture me on demons, Chuck. I know how to kill this thing."

"You have the right weapon," a new voice added, and Mary stepped into the room carrying the large volume of demon lore given to her by the Professor, "But there might be something to need to do first."

Faith frowned at her, "What do you mean?"

Mary walked over toward her and opened the book on the table. She pointed to an entry and Faith glanced down at it. There was a picture of the demon, drawn in blue and black shadows, its yellow eyes shining, its forked tail curled around the figure of a man.

"That's it," Faith said and then looked up at Mary and the Professor, "Now you get why I confused your blue buddy for it."

"You were only looking with your eyes then," Mary said firmly, causing Faith to glare at her, "I've read about Slayers, I know you have an inborn instinct about locating demons, but strong emotions can interfere..."

"What the hell do you know about it?" Faith asked in a low, almost threatening voice, and Mary tried not to let the other young woman's tone shake her.

"I know we have to finish the ritual," Mary replied, "I know we might be able to help you find it and stop it..."

Faith sat back and shook her head, "You know how you can help...let me out of here. That'll be a big help, cause I'm not getting anywhere sitting here in your pretty school waiting for you _good guys_ to come up with some heroic plan."

"Planned _heroics_," Mary said simply, "...are better than _blind aggression_."

Faith suddenly stood from her chair and stepped toward her. Cyclops and the others were ready to move forward if the Slayer lashed out at Mary, but the Professor raised one head, a signal for them to wait.

"Sometimes," Faith said viciously, "Blind aggression is all you got to work with."

Mary's eyes were wide and anxious as she stood face to face with the Slayer, but she did not step back or sound intimidated as she spoke.

"Not this time," Mary replied, "This time...you've got help."

Faith narrowed her eyes at the other girl and regarded her curiously. There was a sensation of power around Mary as well, different from Storm, but still very present. She took a step back and glanced around at the Professor and the others, considering their offer, and knowing she did not have much time to make her decision.

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Review responses: Sorry it's been a while, and I continue to appreciate all the feedback! :-)

To DemonRogue13: Thanks again for following along and for all the reviews for each chapter! Even on days when there are multiple chapters posted! (Rare occurrences when the muses keep me stuck to the keyboard for long periods of time :-)

To ManniElf18: Yeah, in this twisted little AU, Xavier had been a part of the Council, and so had Magneto (dundunduuuun!), but the Council had made a distinction between mutants and other supernatural beings (hopefully will be explored further in my stalled firestarter fic). As for Faith, she's been a complex character to write for...which makes it all the more fun!

To LilSis: Dude. There...See...I put Giles in...Be happy. :-P

To capitalistmadhatter: Sorry, no Toad in this book. :-( Totally a Kurt centric adventure. :-) HOWEVER!!!! Book 6 will be more of a Brotherhood tale and Toad will have a major role. So will other crossover baddies...and 70's music...so it should prove interesting...MORE TOAD FICS NOW! lol

To goddess123452003: I am a crossover fanatic so each book has them. This is part five of what is turning into a monster of a project. I thought movie Kurt's interactions with Storm were very cute so continuing on with that, but I like Evo Kurt's personality so mixing in a bit of him too.

To Xany Kaos: Cliffhangers are evil! I know! I just can't help it! :-) Luckily I know just where this book is going so hopefully not too long between updates!

To Issy: Thanks! Typing as fast as I can on my nights off...and on the nights I'm working...Work is boring... Thank God for MSword. :-)

To sheera: Thanks for the review! This book started out a little slow, but now we're getting close to the end so everything should stay pretty exciting (I hope).


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Seeking Guidance

Chapter Fourteen:

            _"He's a demon!"_

_            "Monster!"_

_            "Mutant freak!"_

Kurt sat in the medical bay and closed his eyes.  He knew that would not help silence the voices from his past, but at least he could block out the room's bright lights.  The dark was good sometimes; the dark was where he was safe.

            "Kurt?" he heard Rogue's voice call to him with concern, "Are you sure you're alright?"

            He opened his eyes and glanced over at her with a weak smile.  His hand rested over the place on his chest where the Slayer had kicked him, but the dull ache was barely noticeable over the painful memories her words had awoken.

            Rogue had taken him to the infirmary to wait for Dr. McCoy to return.  The Professor knew how powerful Faith's attack had been, and he insisted that the doctor examine Kurt for any internal injuries.  However, Kurt had been injured worse than this in the past.  He had broken limbs, and broken ribs, and he knew what they felt like...especially when other people caused them.

            Kurt took a long breath and winced slightly.  He tried to reassure Rogue that he would be fine, but his own voice did not sound convincing to him.

            "It's nothing," he said, "I took worse hits than this when training in the circus."

            "Well," Rogue said, glancing at the clock anxiously, "The doc will be here any minute...just to be sure..."

            "I know," he replied, staring away from her with a distant look in his eyes, "You are all concerned for me, and I appreciate it more...more than you could ever know..."

            His voice trailed off quietly, talking of his friends at the mansion but not thinking about them.  He was thinking of the circus, as he grew older, as his talents began to overshadow the other acrobats, as their resentment grew...when the _mutter_ had passed away...when they came to his traveling home with fire...

            "I think..." Kurt began, turning his head and giving Rogue an apologetic, shy glance, "I think...right now...I need other guidance besides our good doctor."

            _BAMF._

            Rogue jumped back in surprise as Kurt disappeared.  She glanced around quickly, and called out to him.  He was not in the room.  Kurt had jumped without a visual cue.  He could be anywhere now.

            "Damn it," Rogue said, sounding more than a little like Logan, and she rushed out to find the Professor.

            -----------------------------------------

            Storm was walking quickly with Henry down the hall, when she saw Rogue sprinting toward them from the infirmary.  The younger X-Man skidded to a halt in front of them, the expression on her face full of concern and frustration.

            "Doc!  Storm!  Kurt's gone!" Rogue announced and Storm put her hands on the girl's shoulders to calm her.

            "Gone?" Henry asked, "The Professor said he was injured..."

            "Yeah, the Slayer hit him but he said he was alright," Rogue said quickly, "But he was acting really strange.  Then he said something about needing other guidance besides the doc's and..."

            Henry sighed, "Well, I doubt he's seeking out alternative medical treatment."

            "No," Storm said frowning with thought, and then she glanced upward, "He's probably just gone to the church."

            A wave of relief washed over Rogue's face, but she still sounded concerned when she spoke.

            "That Slayer," she explained, "She confused him for some creature she was lookin' for.  I think it really bothered him.  He just teleported from the room right in front of me."

            Storm nodded knowingly, "I understand.  I've been confused for something more supernatural than a mutant before as well."

            "But Kurt knows he's human," Rogue said, "He's knows he's just a mutant like the rest of us and not some kind of monster."

            "I'm sure he does," Storm said softly, "However, when you are called horrible things like that over and over again through your life, sometimes...sometimes, you may start to question who you _know_ you are, even though you also know the truth."

            Storm glanced between them and smiled reassuringly.

            "I'll go look for him," she said, "If he is badly injured, he may not even make it to the church without help."

            Henry nodded, "We'll let the Professor know where you've gone, but contact me _immediately_ if you need assistance."

            Storm nodded and then rushed off toward the elevator to follow after Kurt.

            -----------------------------------------

            _It was searching...and it was hungry..._

_            It had been wounded by the Slayer's blade, only a little, but enough to infuriate it._

_            The sky was dark now, and the demon drew its essence together, sensing, searching for a great gathering of life forces..._

_            It sensed the school...but there was a danger there...an ancient power it feared..._

_            So it moved on...and searched..._

            -----------------------------------------

            The air had gotten much colder since the sun set, and Storm pulled her jacket around her face as she got out of her car.  She had parked next to the old local church and stared up at it for a few minutes before entering.

            She had never really understood it, how Kurt could believe so much in his religion and keep such a strong dedication to his faith, even after being subject to harsh prejudice as a mutant, and after being tortured and used by the mad Colonel Stryker.  And his appearance unfairly added to his isolation from the rest of the world. 

            Storm had a taste of this as a child, her stark white hair instantly distinguishing her from the rest of her village, making her different, making her an outcast.  She had confronted that bigotry the best way she knew how.

            Anger had become her main defense against their hate, her fury at the world's injustices against mutants motivating her to find a better way for mutants to live.  It was not what had drawn her to Xavier's school, but it was what had kept her there.  She was making a difference, giving lost children the support and kindness she had always yearned for when she was young.  But, despite all the good she saw in the others around her, she still used her anger to push her onward, to make her a fighter, to make her a survivor.

            But, Kurt was different.  He never spoke about the way people reacted when they first met him.  He would just grin and shrug and let each person make their own decisions.  Usually, the students would become friendly with him quickly, once they saw he was not so different from them.  But, there were still some who continued to judge him solely on his appearance, and Kurt simply had learned to acknowledge that some people might not ever be able to see past his blue skin or his long forked tail.

            Kurt accepted this, and still never seemed to have the anger Storm had always lived with.  He did not hate the people who hated him.  He just kept faith in himself, and that he knew who he was...and that was all that really mattered.

            It was intimidating for Storm, though she had difficulty admitting that to anyone but herself.  His dedication and faith was terrifying for her, that someone could freely accept the world for what it was, and completely understand their place in it, without anger and without hate.

            _But he shouldn't have to live with such prejudice_, Storm thought, _He shouldn't be treated so differently from everyone else.  He should be able to go where he wants and do what he wants without worrying about what he looks like._

            "How could she have confused him for a demon?" she said aloud to herself, hearing the disgust in her voice and unsure of how else to express the injustice she felt, "Demons hate.  Kurt...you never hate, do you?"

            Storm sighed and walked up the steps quickly to the church's front door.  She pushed it opened quietly, and scent of incense filling her lungs as she stepped among the visages of angels and saints.

            This was different than when she and Jean entered the small chapel near Boston where they had found Kurt.  There it had been dark, the building weathered and old on the inside and outside.  This church, however, was alive with light, and she suddenly felt very vulnerable within this place of worship, almost as if she was alone and separate from the scattered congregation around her.

            _Intimidating_, she thought again, crackling the air around her slightly so she did not feel so powerless and unprotected.

            Storm searched the rows of pews until she spotted Kurt seated in one corner about three rows from the front.  She noticed a few of the people around giving her strange glances, but she ignored them, and ignored her anger as well.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Storm and Kurt

Chapter Fifteen:

            _It was still searching...nearly ravenous...needing to feed...searching..._

            -----------------------------------------

            Storm walked toward the pew where Kurt was sitting, and paused a few rows away.  He was wearing his long jacket, a hood pulled over his head, which was bowed deeply against his chest.  She took another step forward, the click of her shoes echoing through the silent church.  She could see that Kurt had his arms tucked against his chest.

            _He's praying_, Storm thought, a soft smile touching her face.  She did not want to interrupt his meditations, but as she came close to him, she heard him taking ragged breaths.  At first, Storm thought his quiet gasps were because of his injury, but then she realized...they were soft sobs.

            Kurt did not react as she sat down next to him.  Storm watched him sadly for a moment, waves of compassion for her friend dissipating any lingering anger she had been feeling.

            As people walked past them, a few gave the two mutants curious stares, but none held hostility.  Storm did not pay any mind to them; all of her focus right now was solely on Kurt.  Her friend...her teammate...who had so cautiously asked her to dinner tonight...when she had been the one who was a little frightened of his kind attentions...

            Storm reached over and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

            Kurt started in surprise, and jerked his head quickly up at her.  The expression on his face was anxious, almost as if he expected the person to his left to be hostile, but it faded immediately when he saw Storm. 

            "Hi," she said, "I thought this was where you went.  Whenever I need to find you, it always seems to be in church."

            Kurt laughed softly through his tears and wiped his eyes before speaking.

            "Ya," he replied, offering her an apologetic smile, "It is just where I like to go when...when I need to..."

            Storm nodded and then sighed, "The Professor told us what happened.  And when Rogue said you teleported out of the medical bay..."

            Kurt chuckled again, "I hope she is not too angry with me about that."

            Storm smirked, "I think the little bit of Logan in her should have calmed down by the time we get back.  Although, I'm sure Henry will still be concerned that you left before he could tend to your wound."

            "It's nothing..." Kurt replied, and then stared forward, and continued in a low voice, "It's nothing...really..."

            Storm watched him closely, as Kurt touched his middle and shifted with discomfort.  His eyes, however, remained locked on the altar in front of him.  They seemed distant again, lost, and Storm worried that he was hurting from more than the bruise on his chest.

            "You know she was wrong...don't you?" Storm suddenly asked, her voice becoming more forceful.

            Kurt glanced at her again, "What do you mean?"

            "Faith," Storm replied firmly, "She was wrong about you.  You know that, right?"

            Kurt looked at if he was about to reply...and then paused and stared downward.  He seemed to draw further into his hood, as if he was trying to hide from her unyielding gaze.

            "Kurt?" Storm asked, her voice softer, and she touched his arm again, "As soon as she found out we were mutants, she knew you weren't the thing she was hunting.  She was tired and frustrated, and that's the only reason she would believe that..."

            "What do _you believe_, Ororo?" Kurt asked, almost bitterly, still staring at the floor.

            "It doesn't matter what I believe," she said and Kurt shook his head.

            "Yes..." he said, "Yes...it does..."

            Storm narrowed her eyes, her gaze becoming stern again, the glare of the goddess.  She felt new anger spark in her heart, both at the Slayer for hurting Kurt...and a little at Kurt for doubting himself over the young woman's thoughtless mistake.

            "I believe..." she began, "You...are a _mutant_."

            She stressed the last word so resentfully that Kurt looked up at her with shock.  She folded her arms and repeated her words again, making no effort to keep her voice low.

            "You are a _mutant_," she said, "_I am a mutant_.  You want to know what I believe in?  _That_ is what I believe in.  I am not a god.  I am not a monster.  I am a mutant.  And do you know what a _mutant_ is, Kurt?  I'm not talking about what the _world_ thinks we are, I'm asking do you _know_ what a _mutant is_?"

            Kurt stared at her with wide eyes and did not interrupt.  He had never heard her talk like this, with such conviction, about who she was before.

            "_A mutant_..." Storm said, "...is a human being.  Not ordinary, not _normal_, whatever that has ever meant.  Just...a human being with a few genes that have been changed...by God or whatever else.  Humans with gifts.  Some people are born being geniuses, or great athletes, or talented artists.  Our gifts are simply a little more obvious than theirs..."

            She tilted her head slightly and a challenging grin formed on her face.

            "You're not a demon, Kurt" Storm said, "We're mutants...and that's what I have faith in.  I guess now it's just a question of...who _you_ believe you are.  No one else.  _Just you._"

            He stared at her for another moment and then shifted his gaze away.  She did not understand.  How could be believe in himself when so many people in his past have doubted him?

            Kurt felt a warm hand curl around his own and he glanced up at her again.

            "I still have faith in you, Kurt Wagner," she said and then added with a grin, "The Amazing Nightcrawler.  We all do.  Even when you're doubting yourself, never doubt that."

            He took her hand in both of his, and felt fresh tears begin to course down his face.

            Kurt looked up at her and smiled.  His eyes widened with simple happiness as his friend's words drew him out of his darkness.  Storm smiled back, and for a moment, they did not see anything but each other.

            Kurt turned toward her, wanting to thank her a hundred times, and wanting to tell her a thousand things he had tried to in the nine months since Alkalai Lake...

            But, their moment was suddenly interrupted by a terrified scream.

            Storm and Kurt glanced back toward the church's entrance, and saw a cloud of black smoke begin to billow through the open doors.  The scattered candles in the hall grew dim, and the air around them became bitterly cold.

            The few people seated near the back began running frantically toward the altar, searching for a way out and away from the horrid mist that began to shadow the back wall.  From within the swirling mass, Kurt and Storm saw a pair of yellow eyes floating against a disembodied face.  Tendrils of smoke reached out toward the screaming people, curling along the pews, forcing itself forward.

            Storm grabbed Kurt by the arm and yanked him to the side of the church until they were hidden behind a tall column.  As they peered around carefully, Kurt heard Storm speak softly.

            "I think we found the Slayer's demon," she said, "I'm going to call out to the Professor..."

            Kurt nodded, and stared in horror at the creature that was invading his church.

            -----------------------------------------

            Faith sighed with frustration as the X-Men talked about the best way to confront the demon when they found it.  Their theorizing and strategizing was not only insanely boring...but it was really staring to piss her off.

            "Where's the knife?" she heard the chick named Mary ask suddenly and Faith grinned.

            "At least one of you has the right idea," Faith remarked angrily and then leaned forward with her hands on the table, "Look, Professor X...I know Giles probably told you all about the fun and nasty shit I did back in Sunnydale, right?"

            "If you are referring to the incident at graduation, then yes, but..." Xavier replied, until she held a hand up to interrupt him.

            "Fine...great...peachy..." Faith continued, "But don't think my part in it was strictly as one of the bad guys.  I tried their little Scooby group in Sunnydale...but it really just wasn't my thing.  What I did...I did for my own reasons..."

            Faith stared at Xavier, expecting him to stop her or lecture her, but he simply nodded and allowed her to speak.

            "But...I've been on my own for a long time now," Faith said, her fingers scraping against the table, "And what I've finally come to realize is...I'm a Slayer.  No matter who I'm buddies with this week or who I try to pretend to be tomorrow, I will always be a Slayer first."

            No one spoke as she glanced around at each of them.  What she saw there was not what she had expected.  They were looking at her with empathy...but not pity.  Understanding... but not judgment.  It was strange, confusing, but she also felt a strange measure of relief.

            _They're mutants_, she thought as she regarded each of them curiously, _They don't even have the Council to blame for who they are.  They just have Nature...and that Mother can be a bitch..._

            Xavier smiled confidently at her as that thought reached his mind.  He had not formed a telepathic link with her, she just thought at a very high volume.

            "You wanna help me?" Faith asked them with finality, "Then let me help you."

            The X-Men exchanged glances and then all eyes fell on the Professor as they waited for him to reply.  Xavier mused for a moment, regarding her closely before he replied.

            "Very well," he said, "What do think we need to do?"

            Faith's angry expression suddenly fell into a grin, and she repeated the words Mary had said earlier.

            "First...where's the knife?"

            "I think that will be second," Cyclops added sternly.

            Faith rolled her eyes, and muttered, "Spoil sport..."

            "_First_," Cyclops continued, "Where's the demon?"

            "It's going to head somewhere that has a lot of people," Faith replied, "That's why I thought it would be here.  But...I don't sense it anywhere nearby.  Is there any place else that you guys can think of that'll be crowded tonight?"

            "The closest place is Rusty's," Bobby said, and then looked at little nervous when Cyclops and Henry gave him surprised, though amused, glances.

            "Checked there," Faith said, "It would be easy pickins but I stabbed it when it was attacking the old guy...so I doubt it'll be back..."

            As they discussed locations, Mary stared down at the picture of the demon in the Professor's volume of lore.  She stared at the image and tried to focus her mind on the creature.  She had never attempted to draw out her visions before.  They had always just sort of happened, but she was at this school to learn about her powers, and this was the perfect opportunity to push herself.  Besides, if she fainted, the infirmary was right down the hall...

            -----------------------------------------

            _...Mary narrowed her eyes on those of the demon in the picture and focused..._

_                                                            God, there is such hate there_

_            ...She felt the cold first...the swirling masses of shadow and smoke..._

_                                                Come on, vision, give me something I don't know_

_            ...She heard it next...a vicious shriek as it burst out into the sunlight..._

_            ...Another shriek as the Slayer's blade cut into its vague form..._

_                                                            Its voice?  Is that its voice?_

_            ...Another scream...but this time the voice was not that of the demon..._

_            ...It was a human voice...screaming in terror..._

_                                                Oh, no...it's found someone_

_...As the creature tore through the front door..._

_...But it paused...as it stared up at the altar...at the symbols of faith..._

_...It had to regroup before it could continue onward..._

            -----------------------------------------

            "The church," Mary said and stumbled backward into a chair as the vision faded.

            The others looked at her in surprise.

            "There's a church?" Faith asked with a frown, "What church?  Where?"

            Xavier closed his eyes as Storm's voice called to his for assistance.

            "Kurt's church," the Professor said, "It's about a mile away toward town."

            "Would there be many people there now?" Cyclops asked.

            "No, there are no services at this hour," Xavier said, and then frowned with concern, "But Storm says there are still about two dozen civilians, plus Kurt and herself."

            "It's hungry...not choosy, and it'll take what it can get," Faith said, moving toward the conference room door.  She paused at the exit and glanced back at the others.

            "Come on, X-Men," she said with a wicked grin, "Let's see what you guys can do.  Mary, you should bring that book along with us so we can finish the vamp geeks' ceremony...and will somebody _please_ give me my knife!"


	17. Chapter Sixteen: I Know What I'm Doing

Chapter Sixteen:

            _We're on our way_.

            The Professor's voice echoed in both Storm and Kurt's mind, reassuring them the X-Men were now aware of the threat on the church.

            Storm took a step forward and regarded the demon with scrutiny.  They had to figure out a way to keep it from harming them or any of the civilians.  She could only hope the Professor...and the Slayer...knew how to stop the demon's attack completely.

            Kurt was crouching next to the tall column, which they had ducked behind when the demon first appeared.  He was watching it with wide eyes.  He had always believed in things such as demons and angels...but he had truly never expected to see one.  But, he was not just seeing it, and neither was anyone else.  The temperature in the long room was growing colder by the second, and there was an invading sense of dread hanging in the air.  Kurt _felt_ the demon's presence almost more acutely than he _saw_ it.

            "We have to get these people out of here," Storm said quickly.  She crouched down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

            Kurt glanced back at her, "There is an emergency door behind the lower choir loft.  Hopefully, most of them will find it before..."

            His sentence was cut off as the last three rows of pews were torn from the floor and shoved to the side.  The demon was lurching forward slowly, its body swirling with limited dexterity.  It was weak...hungry...and it was reaching in the direction of the scattering congregation.

            Kurt looked back in the demon's direction and the expression on his face changed.  Any remaining fear or doubt was lost beneath his growing outrage.  This creature was not simply attacking his fellow worshippers, it was now desecrating this place that he held so dear.  It was bringing violence into the only place where Kurt felt at peace.  He curled his fingers tightly around his rosary and stood up.

            Before Storm could stop him, Kurt walked out into the open, never letting his eyes leave the demon as he moved toward the center aisle.

            "Kurt!" she called to him urgently, "Wait!"

            She could hear him muttering angrily at the creature, but did not understand the words.  He was holding his rosary out in front of him like a shield, but Storm did not have the same faith in the holy symbol as he did.

            The demon's yellow eyes focused on Kurt and it lurched forward again.  Kurt made no indication that he would try to get out of its way.  Storm began to move toward him, but Kurt called over to her.

            "No!  Stay there!" he shouted over the demon's harsh squalling, "I know what I'm doing!"

            _I know what I'm doing..._ the words echoed in Storm's mind, and she felt an unusual sensation rise in her chest.  Panic.  Because she had heard those words before...just before Jean died...before Jean sacrificed herself...

            "No," she said softly and looked between Kurt and the demon.  He was trying to face this creature alone, this thing with which he shared a vague, superficial likeness.

            She could not watch another one of her friends die.

            Before the demon could get any closer, Storm turned toward it and felt the air around her crackle to life.  She began to walk forward, and used her power to stir up the wind.  The candles she passed were extinguished entirely, as the gusts grew stronger.  The demon's body seemed to be made of mostly a strange smoke, and Storm wondered if disrupting the air in the church would affect it.

            When Kurt saw her eyes begin to glow white, he called out to her again.

            "Storm!" he shouted now struggling to be heard over the demon's noise and the roar of the wind.  He could feel the electric charge building around Storm, but as the creature's attention shifted, it did not seem at all intimidated by her pending attack.

            The rush of air made Storm's hair fly forward into her face and she tried to shove the demon out of the church's doors.

            Tendrils of dark smoke extending from the demon's body wrapped around the supporting columns as its body rippled backward.  The cloud of shadow forming its head was pulled back taunt against its featureless face.  There was a low rumble as the creature growled and pulled itself closer to the two X-Men.

            -----------------------------------------

            Cyclops maneuvered his car skillfully down the winding road toward the church, and gracefully tried to ignore the Slayer's sarcastic criticisms about his driving by focusing on their mission.  Bobby sat next to him in the passenger seat and struggled not to laugh.

            "Come on, man!" Faith chided him from the back seat, "The gas petal's the one on the _right_!"

            "We'll be there in two minutes," Cyclops replied with annoyance, "I suggest you use the time to find out more about that ceremony you'll need to do when we get there."

            "Mary's on it," Faith shot back, and glanced at the young woman next to her, "Right, girl?  What you got?"

            As the car turned sharply, Mary struggled to keep the volume of lore open on her lap, as she sat uncomfortably between Faith and Peter.  From what Faith had told her, Mary had been able to look up the spells used by the vampire coven that had originally summoned the demon.

            "It a little confusing," she replied honestly, "But it looks like there are only a few incantations left to be read before the thing becomes completely solid.  Then, you'll be able to confront it physically..."

            "And kill it _physically_..." Faith agreed with a wide grin that made Mary a little uneasy.

            "When you...kill it," Mary said slowly, "What happens to it?"

            Faith shrugged, "It'll go back to where ever it came from."

            "All these spells to summon it and just a wound to the neck will get rid of it?" Mary asked doubtfully and Faith frowned.

            "Better hope so, babe," she replied, "Or else you better find _something else_ in that book that'll do a better job."

            -----------------------------------------

            Storm's eyes were alive with power as the demon moved closer to her.

            The force of the winds were powerful enough to send tables and heavy candelabras skidding across the floor, but the creature used any solid structure it could wrap around to give it the leverage needed to pull itself forward.

            The walls were shaking from its effort and Storm realized her defensive tactic would only keep it at bay for so long.  She would have to try something stronger.

            Kurt was trying to reach her before the demon, but could not move against the raging air around him.  Suddenly, he felt the static crackle of Storm's attack and braced himself for what he knew was coming.

            Storm raised her arms and the large stained glass window to her right shattered.  A burning white bolt of lightning tore over her head and shot toward the demon.  There was a blinding flash and the sound of an explosion as the electric force cracked through the church, and then for a moment, everything fell silent.

            Storm was breathing deeply as the lightning's glare faded and she searched for any sign of the demon.  She allowed her power to ebb and the winds calmed.

            Kurt raised his head and blinked as he stared over at Storm.  The afterimage of the sudden light was still dancing in front of his eyes, and he squinted as he called out to her.

            "Storm!" he shouted, "What happened?  Is it gone?"

            She lowered her arms and turned her head back and forth. 

            "I don't know!" Storm called back, still searching, "Do you see it anywhere?"

            Kurt stood up and scanned the dark corners of the church with his eyes for any sign of the creature.  But as the heat of the lightning faded, he immediately sensed the bitter chill returning around him.

            "It's still here!" he called to her, instinctively crouching to a defensive position.

            "Where?" Storm called back, and Kurt clenched his fists in frustration, his rosary digging into his palm.

            "I don't know..." he replied.

            Storm turned her head once more, her long, white hair twirling over her shoulders, and then she began to walk toward him.

            "I don't see it," she whispered back to him, "Maybe the shock was enough to at least stun it."

            Kurt looked away from her, and tried to search the shadows around them for any sign of a threat.  Storm walked until she was standing near him, keeping a sharp eye on the vast empty space around them.  She looked down at Kurt and sighed.

            "At least the other people got away before it could take them," she said.

            Kurt glanced up at her with a grin, "Yes...thank God for that..."

            "I don't see anyone else, maybe we should get out of here before..." Storm continued.

            However, her words were suddenly cut off as an invisible force wrapped around her throat.  Kurt saw her eyes grow wide as she was lifted from the ground.

            From the ceiling above, long strands of black smoke were reaching down and curling around Storm's limbs.  Kurt watched in surprised horror as the creature materialized from the upper shadows of the steeple.  Its floating face sneered at him as it drew its newest prey higher.

            "No!" he called out, "Stop!"

            But his voice sounded frightened and weak even to his own ears, and he heard the demon squeal in vile laughter.  Its disembodied tail cracked like a whip over Storm's head.

            Almost without thought, Kurt teleported himself to the spot where Storm was being held, and put his arms around her shoulders before gravity drew his body back to the ground.  The sudden added weight caught the demon off guard, and Storm was ripped free of its grasp as she and Kurt fell.

            He barely had a second to judge when to make his next jump, but both he and Storm disappeared just before they would have hit the remaining pews.  When they rematerialized, they were still high above the ground, but their acceleration downward was halted as Kurt grabbed onto an upper scaffold with his long tail.

            He strained to reach upward with one arm while still holding Storm's unconscious form to his chest.  He drew her up onto the large beam, and then saw the demon shift its vaporous body in their direction again.

            Kurt glared at it and tightened his hold on Storm.  He looked down at her and saw her eyes were open, but unaware.  Kurt took one of her hands in his own and teleported again, just as the demon's smoking limbs reached out to snatch them.

            When they appeared once more, Kurt was standing at the front of the church and pulled Storm behind the altar carefully.  He laid her down on one stone step and brushed the hair from her face.  He waved a hand in front of her blank stare, but there was no response.

            _Ororo, please wake up_, he thought, and then heard the demon shriek in fury again.

            He shifted and peered carefully around the marble table.  The creature was tearing past the pews again, and the splintering sound of wood breaking joined the horrid screeches.

            Kurt struggled with his own anger and looked over at Storm again.  She had once told him that anger could help you survive.  He told her that faith could as well.  Maybe, right now, he needed a little of both.

            He brushed one hand along her hair gently and felt new tears burning his eyes.

            "I have to go now," he said softly, "I know what I'm doing...and I will come back."

            Kurt closed his eyes, and disappeared again.


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Prayers and Chants

Chapter Seventeen:

            _The demon lashed out at anything around, furious at the interruption to its feeding._

_            The mutant woman had been strong...much stronger than any of its other victims..._

_            But the mutant man somehow stole her back...they just vanished from its hold..._

_            It was raging now...it would destroy this whole place if it had to...to find its lost meal..._

_            Then, it sensed one of the mutants again..._

-----------------------------------------

            Kurt stared up at the creature, and he began to pray.

            "In the name of the father..."

            The demon's face turned toward him and it roared in fury.

            "...and the son..."

            It moved with unnatural speed and reached out with dozens of icy tendrils.

            "...and the holy ghost..."

            Kurt felt the demon's black smoky form curve around him.  He sensed its hunger and readied himself for battle.  The demon's face rushed at him, stopped short of actually impacting him, and growled angrily.  Kurt drew his shoulders back, and choked on his last word as the demon grabbed him by the neck.

            Fortunately, some else was able to finish the prayer for him.

            -----------------------------------------

            The demon's growling became a shriek of pain as a long blade tore into its vague form.

            Kurt felt the hold on his throat fade and he was released.  He stumbled to the ground and drew in a haggard breath.  His skin tingled painfully as the harsh cold pulled back, and he stared in shock as several figures appeared from behind the demon.

            The closest one jerked her arm backward and grinned viciously as she yanked the blade away.  The creature spun away toward the shadows, and hissed at them in outraged fury.

            Kurt looked up as the Slayer held out a hand to help him to his feet.

            "Amen," Faith finished.

            Her strength surprised him, and he barely had a moment to get his balance before the demon regrouped and lunged at them again.

            Faith grabbed a hold on the back of Kurt's jacket and pulled him with her as she ran toward the front of the church.  Before they ducked behind the front row of pews, Kurt spotted Mary and the three other X-Men trying to draw the creature's attention back toward the front doors.

            He hit the floor roughly and Faith settled next to him.  He blinked at her with confusion as she carefully peaked over the top of the bench.  She ducked again as a large chunk of debris was thrown over their heads.

            Faith turned toward him, still wielding her weapon and Kurt stared at it anxiously.

            "Take it easy, Blue," she said to him in a low voice, "Despite what happened earlier, this knife was never meant for you."

            Kurt could hear the others struggling with the demon and risked another glance around at the back of the church.  There was another hideous shriek from beyond their hiding place, and both he and Faith flinched.

            "You confused me for _that_?" Kurt asked incredulously, throwing the Slayer an annoyed glare.

            Faith shrugged, "Hey...I'm a little out of practice, okay?"

            There was a flash of red light and they heard Cyclops shout something over the din of the demon.

            "Storm was injured," Kurt said, "We have to get out there and help them so I can get her back to the doctor."

            "No..." Faith said firmly.

            Kurt frowned at her and she shook her head.

            "Not yet," she explained, "We gotta wait 'til the demon takes a solid form..."

            "How will that happen?" Kurt asked.

            Faith looked at him and grinned, "The Seer's working on it..."

            -----------------------------------------

            As Cyclops and Colossus prepared to meet the wraith-like creature head on, Mary and Iceman ducked behind a tall marble statue.  Mary knelt on the floor and opened the large volume to the passages regarding the demon of Depletion.  Iceman stood in front of her as extra guard just in case the creature's attention shifted away from the other diversion.

            Mary smoothed out the book's old pages, and placed on finger over the final words in the demon's spell.  She began to read aloud, and felt her voice timbre change as the ancient language echoed from her throat.  It sounded a little like Latin, but each syllable left a bitter taste in her mouth.

            She glanced up at Iceman, who nodded, reassuring her that their plan was working...so far.

            -----------------------------------------

            Colossus braced himself for battle as he found himself face to face with the shadowy creature.  His gaze never wavered as his skin became solid silver, even when wisps of cold smoke began to curl around his arms.  Usually, when his powers were active, harsh changes in temperature did not affect him.  However, as the demon took hold of his limbs, Colossus felt a cold shock run down his spine.

            The demon tried to pull him forward, but the weight of his body was significantly greater than the creature's other victims.  There was a vicious snarl as the demon struggled to overwhelm the powerful mutant.

            Colossus grabbed onto one of the tendrils of smoke and pulled back against his attacker.  The demon shrieked in fury and its tail whipped toward the mutant.  Colossus felt the forked tail snap painfully against his chest and he stumbled back a step.

            When Cyclops saw his teammate loosing advantage in the fight, he raised one hand to his visor and focused his gaze on the demon.  There was a bright flash of red light, as a beam from his eyes tore through the black smoke.  The demon drew itself inward and avoided the powerful light as it cut through the vaporous mass of its body. 

            "Damn it," Cyclops muttered and raced toward his teammate.

            Cyclops saw the creature pull Colossus forward again, and the impervious mutant struggled as well as he could against the formless tendrils and icy tail holding him.

            "Iceman!" he called, "How much longer?"

            -----------------------------------------

            Bobby glanced down at Mary and heard her reading in the ancient language.  The words made him shiver, and he looked back over at Cyclops.

            "I'm not sure!" he shouted back, and then muttered to himself as he glanced back and saw the dark look on Mary's face, "I hope no too much longer..."

            -----------------------------------------

            Mary's throat was beginning to feel raw and torn as she continued to read the cursed incantations.  Everything in her soul was raging against bringing this creature to its true form, but she knew it had to be done if the Slayer was going to be able stop its rampage.

            She looked upward and saw Bobby watching her nervously, and then she glanced up at the frescos near the ceiling depicting the figures of angels.

            _I'm sorry for this,_ she thought, and continued to complete the ceremonial spells.

            -----------------------------------------

            _The demon growled and tried to pull the strange silver mutant closer..._

_            Such power...it would feed the demon well..._

_            The second mutant's attack had been a minor distraction but had not real effect on its body..._

_            The Slayer was here...it felt her nearby...hiding...she had injured it again..._

_            ...it would kill her for it..._

_            Suddenly, a familiar sound began to fill the air around it..._

_            Ancient words...which had been spoken by the vampires who had called it forth..._

_            Its floating limbs began to grow heavy...and the demon shrieked in rage..._

_            Then, it realized with the new solid weight, came an increased strength..._

_            It hissed with approval and tightened its grasp on the struggling mutant it was holding..._

-----------------------------------------

            Colossus gasped in surprise as the cold limbs became stronger, and the demon's tail began to curl around his throat.  It did not yet have the power to crush the mutant's body but it would be able to drain him of that life force.

            Cyclops gaped as the smoky wraith began to become more distinct and definite in form.  He once again reached for the controls of his visor and took aim at the creature.

            -----------------------------------------

            The walls of the church began to shutter as Mary's voice rose over all the other noise.


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Battle in the Church ...

Chapter Eighteen:

As the demon's vaporous body began to congeal, Kurt stared at it with wide horrified eyes. He took a few long breaths in an attempt to slow his racing heart, which pounded deafeningly in his ears.

He never imagined he would ever see a real _demon_, but looking at one come into its true form made the terror behind the word more understandable. Even though its dark skin did have the faintest hint of blue, Kurt suddenly felt no kinship to this abomination.

A new fury rose in his heart, one he had not allowed to surface for many years. Anger towards those people who would accuse _him _the same label given to such an evil being. But, until this night, those people were no different than he had been, completely oblivious to what a demon...a _real _demon...truly was.

A dark frown formed on Kurt's face, and his long fingers curled tightly around the top of the pew.

This thing tried to kill Storm...and was now trying to kill his friends...

He would not allow that to happen...

Through his growing fury, Kurt did not notice how closely Faith was watching him. She wore a strange, small smile, as if she recognized something familiar on Kurt's face. She reached out and put a hand on the blue mutant's shoulder. Her grin broadened confidently as his eyes met her own.

"You're pissed...," she said with a touch of amusement, but then her gaze became hard, "Use that...but don't abuse it...ya'mean, Blue?"

Faith released him and turned to stare at the demon again.

"Don't let it become the only thing you can feel..." she finished softly, her voice trailing off and becoming inaudible under the noise of the battle.

Kurt stared at her a moment longer in surprise, and then glanced back toward the altar where he had hidden the unconscious Storm.

His moment of reflection was interrupted as the walls of the church began to shake. Above the rumbling, a voice could be heard, and though the words were not discernable, they made Kurt shiver in disgust.

"About time..." he heard Faith complain, though there was gleeful anticipation on her face, "Let's go, Blue...I think the big man needs a hand..."

Kurt followed Faith as she darted from their hiding place, pausing only once as a red beam of light shot toward the dark creature.

Cyclops turned up the power level on his visor as high as he dared in such a confined space before taking aim and opening the lens. Power poured from his eyes and he watched through a haze of red light as the nearly formed demon was struck full on by his attack.

The demon roared in fury, and half of the groping limbs attacking Colossus were torn away in the blast. Cyclops saw his teammate begin to grapple with the remaining demonic arms, and then noticed Kurt and Faith running toward him.

The creature was howling in pain, but Cyclops could see that its was reforming the damage areas of its body with unnatural speed. He raised his hand to his temple, ready to fire another blast, but Faith grabbed his arm before he was able to open the visor again.

"That's only gonna make that thing wanna eat you more, man," she said, and flashed her blade up before his eyes, "_This_...is the only sure way to kill it..."

Another rumble shook the church and Cyclops glanced back toward Mary.

"How much longer does she have to do this?" he asked Faith, as they watched the demon sprout several new, very dangerous looking limbs.

"As long as it takes..." she replied quickly and ran head on toward the creature.

Cyclops called out to her to wait, but knew it was pointless. He turned to Kurt quickly.

"Take the right flank..." he ordered, "I'll try to help Colossus on the left...since the Slayer seems to have the middle ground covered..."

Without another word, the X-Men moved into a practiced attack formation. Kurt did not bother to run, but teleported around to the demon's back. The creature's fierce eyes tried to track all of its enemies at once, and Kurt felt very pleased in his own abilities when it was obvious his erratic movements infuriated the demon.

Colossus remained its primary target, but Cyclops called out to his teammate to brace himself as he opening fire on the demon's gripping limbs. The red beams of light exploded against Colossus's massive chest, destroying the attackers hold, but leaving the X-Man's impervious body unharmed...though the shirt of his uniform was another story...

Cyclops took pride in the fact that through the entire ordeal, Peter had remained calm and visibly unafraid. Kurt...no, _Nightcrawler_ in battle...was distracting the creature with his dizzying acrobatics. And, Faith...

He may have had his team in line and formation...but the Slayer was accustomed to fighting alone...and she collided with the demon at a full run.

Faith let out a furious battle cry as she lunged at the creature. Her direct attack was quick, but not entirely unexpected. The demon shifted all of its focus on the Slayer, and wrapped its cold limbs around her body as she swung the blade toward it.

Faith slashed downward and was able to sever a few of the semi-solid arms. She broke free of the demon's grasp and lunged at it again, without care for her own wounds or her own safety. She did not hear the X-Men rallying around the creature, trying to assist her. She only heard the demon's cold, growling laughter.

"_Die, you son of a bitch_!" she screamed, but the demon seemed encouraged by her anger and this time it wrapped its limbs around her throat.

Faith tried to slash down again and free herself, but more arms gripped her wrist and tore the blade from her grasp. She did not have the impervious skin of Colossus, and the demon tightened its hold around the Slayer's much more pliable skin.

----------------

_Mary was lost in the sea of words..._

_ They were making her feel sick...as if she were vomiting instead of speaking..._

_ The only clear thought she had beyond the chanting was that she was sorry..._

_ So sorry...for helping make that creature more solid..._

_ She was so sorry...so sorry so sorry sosorrysosorrysosorry..._

---------------------------

But the chants would not stop...even as the sharp taste of blood touched her tongue...

Iceman watched the others begin a flanking attack and wanted desperately to help them. He wanted to do what he had been training to do. But as he glanced back at Mary, he knew he could not leave her alone in this state. The shadows in which she was sitting seemed to grow darker, and he could hear the church walls around them straining from the constant tremors.

Iceman saw the Slayer standing before the demon, and he saw her being surrounded by the dark tendrils. He saw Cyclops taking aim and firing again, but the demon now easily adapted to the energy attack. Colossus was attempting to take hold of some of the demon's flailing limbs, but unfortunately the number of limbs protruding from the creature outnumbered the silver mutant's two strong arms.

Before he could locate Nightcrawler, Iceman felt another tremor roll under his feet and he turned to look at Mary again. His eyes grew wide with horror as he noticed a trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth.

"Jesus..." he breathed and moved toward her. The ceremony may not be complete, and that thing may not be fully formed, but whatever she was reading was beginning to hurt Mary physically.

Iceman reached out toward the book in Mary's lap, but felt a burning cold run up his arms as he touched the pages. Mary's eyes were staring forward blankly, and Iceman watched as the shadows behind her began to curl around her arms, as if to draw her away from the others.

Iceman grabbed onto the book again, trying to ignore the bitter shock of the cold. He had never felt pain from ice before, even in the rawest of winter weather, but this cold was different. And he felt it try to pull him in along with Mary...

He stared into the darkness beyond, and Bobby Drake suddenly heard many voices, screeching with insane laughter. Those new shadows were not empty and he was suddenly sure he saw eyes...and faces...and rows of sharp shining teeth...

"Oooo....kay...," he muttered, his eyes wide with terror, "That's enough evil chanting for one night..."

He focused and let his power flow from his fingertips onto the printed pages.

Frost spread over the book and up Mary's arms. There was a shriek of outrage and pain, but it did not come from the entranced young woman...but from those dark shadows behind her.

As the thin layers of ice reach Mary's face, her voice began to break and her lower jaw shivered. She blinked, and Iceman felt a measure of relief as her blank eyes became more aware of her surroundings. The small line of blood on her lower lip froze to her skin.

She inhaled once and her hands opened and allowed the book and all its incantations to fall away from her.

Iceman shifted himself away from Mary, taking the frost with him as he moved. Mary's lips were blue and she closed her eyes a moment before she fell forward. Iceman reached over again to help her but Mary was able to support herself with her own arms.

When she glanced up at him, she had a relieved smile on her face.

"Thanks..." she said, her voice quivering, and then glanced at the melting book, "Ice is...really...cold..."

Iceman nodded, not entirely without amusement, "Yeah, I've heard that..."

Mary drew her arms around her and shivered again. Even as the ice created by Bobby melted away, a menacing cold lingered in the air. She stood up slowly, and stared in terror at the demon, now quite solid thanks to her. Iceman gave her one last reassuring nod and ran out to join the other X-Men.

-----------------------------------

Author's note: Sorry it took so long to update. I'm trying to kick start my muses again. :-)


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Battle in the Church ...

Chapter Nineteen:

            BAMF

            Nightcrawler looked down at the demon from the church's upper rafters just as its many limbs began to encircle the Slayer's neck.  He glanced quickly to the right and saw Cyclops blasting away the limbs that still held Colossus in place.  He could see Faith's blade gleaming in her hand as she struggled to get free of the creature's hold.

            Taking one long breath, Nightcrawler glanced backward toward the main altar, assuring himself that the unconscious Storm was still unseen by the creature in the place where he had hidden her.  When he looked back, he saw Iceman running toward the other X-Men. 

            His gaze shifted then to the Slayer and the demon, as he debated what to do next.  He suddenly wished for a little bit of Faith's intensity in battle, but he knew it sometimes lead one to be careless...rash...everything his meditations and training had taught him not to be.  Maybe it was simple her courage he envied right now, in the face of such an evil.  Unflinching...without doubt in who she was or what she had to do.

            _You're a mutant..._ he remembered Storm's words, and the conviction behind them. 

            Nightcrawler frowned in quick thought as he examined the scene below him.  He had been able to teleport Storm to safe while she was being attack by the demon...maybe he could do it again...

            -------------------------

            Despite the throttling limbs squeezing her throat, Faith managed to choke a furious growl through her lips.  This thing was strong.  Her previous attacks on the creature had been when it was not yet fully formed.  She had underestimated the increased power it would gain when the ceremony was completed. 

            She felt the walls of the church stop trembling, and in the absence of Mary's chanting voice, the demon's own vicious shrieking drowned out all other sound around them.

            _You will not blackout_, she ordered herself sternly, _This random suckhead spawn is not gonna beat you..._

            But while the creature's face was always sickeningly close, its neck seemed miles away.  The neck was what she needed to reach, where the blade needed to go if it was going to be destroyed.

            Even the blade in her outstretched arm seemed too far, as if the demon was stretching her perception.  Some had that ability, to get into a person's mind and make them see things in a twisted way.  In Faith's case, making her feel like her situation was hopeless...her attack in vain...

            _When blade A is twenty miles away, traveling at a speed of zero miles per hour,_ the words chanted through her head in quiet panic, _How long will it take to reach the neck of evil demon B..._

            "Not nearly...as long...as you think, you bastard," she forced through her throat and tried to force the knife forward.

            The demon, as if sensing her angry humor, hissed in vile laughter and jerked her arm back painfully.

            Faith cried out as her shoulder was pulled at an unnatural angle, and there was a soft pop as the joint jerked out of place.  She ground her teeth together again another scream of pain, and once again felt herself loosing consciousness.

            Suddenly, amidst the cold limbs of the demon, she felt two warm arms wrap around her shoulders, and then everything went black...

            -------------------------

            A moment later, Faith gasped for air and her lungs filled with the scent of brimstone.  She blinked in surprise as she realized she was not where she had been a moment before.  At first, she thought she had passed out, but the flaring pain in her right shoulder reassured her that she was awake.

            "Easy," she heard Nightcrawler's soft voice say from behind her, "I pulled you away from it..."

            "Why the hell did you do that?" Faith replied with fury.  The demon also roared at the loss of another victim, echoing the Slayer's outrage of the prematurely ended battle.

            "Your shoulder is..." Nightcrawler began with surprise at her anger but was interrupted as Faith struggled to her feet.

            "...dislocated," she finished for him and hissed as she took the blade out of her useless hand with the other, "Yeah...I noticed...I was doing just fine..."

            "You were doing nothing," Nightcrawler replied flatly, and then took a long breath before continuing, "But you know how to destroy it.   So...tell me how I can help you to do what you must do."

            Faith adjusted her wounded arm and reaffirmed her grip on the blade.

            "The neck..." she said, "I need to get to the neck...behind it..."

            Nightcrawler nodded, "Then I can help you get there."

            Faith glanced out and noticed that the demon had shifted its attention back onto Colossus and the other two X-Men.  If they moved to the left they would be at its back.  But how to avoid those winding limbs?

            "Okay..." she said, "Ground assault is no good...but at least your buddies are keeping the thing busy..."

            Faith studied Nightcrawler for a moment, and then grinned.

            "You can help..." she said, "You can get me above it...to the rafters...then I can come down on it from above..."

            Faith made a downward slashing motion with her arm and her grin widened.  Nightcrawler frowned and shook his head.

            "You cannot leap to the ground from that height," he said, and then added with a tone of concern that surprised the battle weary Slayer, "You are injured...even if you happen to land on your feet, your shoulder will be terribly jarred by the impact."

            "You sound like you've had some experience with heights before," Faith replied with a smirk.

            Nightcrawler shrugged, "Well, I am an acrobat..."

            Faith looked back toward the demon, "Don't worry about me, Blue.  When the blade hits that thing...it'll break my fall...then, I'll just ride the demon down..."

            The confident smirk stayed on her face, even though Nightcrawler still looked doubtful.

            "Come on, Blue," she said flexing her one functioning arm, "Let's end this."

            Nightcrawler nodded and tried to put his doubts out of his mind.  He stood behind Faith and wrapped his arms around her again, avoiding a firm hold on her oddly hanging right shoulder.

            BAMF

            A moment later they appeared on the rafters spanning the church's inner ceiling.

            Faith positioned herself directly over the demon and wielded her knife firmly in her left hand.  Nightcrawler spotted the other X-Men taking the full brunt of the demon's attack.

            "I am going down to them now," he said to her, "I will tell them your plan..."

            Faith nodded, "Okay...Give me to the count of thirty...and be careful..."

            Nightcrawler chuckled nervously before he disappeared and replied, "I'm not the one jumping from the roof, Slayer..."

            A soft pop and a cloud of blue smoke was all the remained of the blue mutant and Faith grinned again.  Then, she glared down at the demon, and the anticipation of battle once again gleamed in her eyes.

            --------------------------

            "Bobby!  Look out!" Cyclops shouted as Iceman was knocked from his feet by a pair of the demon's limbs.  Iceman reached out one hand and a line of clear ice sheered the limbs in half.

            Cyclops had seen Faith disappear from the demon's grasp, and he was not surprised when Nightcrawler appeared beside him a few minutes later.

            "Where's the Slayer?" he shouted, turning to blast the demon again before Kurt could reply.

            "There," Nightcrawler said quickly motioning toward the rafters, "She is going to attack it from above..."

            Cyclops nodded but did not respond.  He glanced upward and saw the Slayer standing in the shadows over the demon's head.  Just as he prepared to fire on the creature again, he saw her jump.  From where the X-Men stood, they could not see where she had landed.

            --------------------------

            Faith took a long breath and waited, ticking down the seconds in her head, and waiting for the right moment to strike.

            She had told Nightcrawler to give her thirty, but when she reached twenty-three, her instincts told her to move...now.

            Without ever taking her eyes from her target, Faith took a long step out from the supporting beam and began to plummet toward the ground.  Her right shoulder exploded in pain, but she barely noticed.  In less than a second, she had reached the demon, and the blade in her hand stabbed deeply into the creature's neck.

            --------------------------

            The inhuman scream that rose through the church upon the impact of Faith's blade made any previous sounds seem insignificant. 

            Mary cringed to the floor and covered her ears with her hands.  Voices filled her head...outraged...murderous...and she realized in horror that she was hearing the demon itself...

            --------------------------

            _Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!_

_            Nooooooooo....it's not possible!_

_            The pain...the Slayer!  It's the Slayer!  It'stheSlayer!_

_            Noooooo...I wanted to kill!  Cursed maker, I wanted to kill!_

_            Noooooooo...Let me go!  Let me go!_

            --------------------------

            The demon began to thrash back and forth, trying to shake off its attacker.  But the blade had struck deep, and the Slayer had some strength yet to keep a hold on the weapon's hilt.

            The X-Men watched the innumerable limbs begin to shrink back, becoming transparent and vaporous again.  Cyclops ordered them to run for cover as the creature moved widely around the ruined church.

            Nightcrawler hesitated and saw that Faith was still hanging onto the demon's back.  She was being thrown from side to side and he knew she would not be able to stand the beating for long.

            Colossus and Iceman reached Mary, and Cyclops turned back just as Nightcrawler disappeared again.

            "Kurt!" he called but had to step backward as the demon's tail sliced through the air toward them.

            --------------------------

            All there was now was pain...at least, that's all there should have been for Faith, considering that her dislocated arm was being swung around viciously with the demon's movements.  She held the blade as tightly as she could, but the skin on her left hand was being torn apart in the effort.

            The shrieks echoing from the demon were deafening, and inwardly Faith sighed.

            _This...is...just...great..._ she thought with annoyance, _Friggin' demon...why can't you just fall over and be dead like all the good little suckheads..._

            She knew the distance to the floor was not a short one and she sighed again.  She was going to fall.  No denying it now.  Her hand was bleeding and would soon be unable to hold on anymore.

            _Oh well..._ she thought, _If I fall, all I gotta worry about is the floor...besides...this demon stinks anyway..._

            This time, Faith closed her eyes before she allowed herself to fall.  She felt herself slipping down the creature's back, but suddenly was jerked to a halt as one of the demon's remaining limbs wrapped around her waist.

            Faith was suddenly drawn up to the creature's face and its expression was filled with pure hate.  If it was going to die, it would take her with it into hell...

            BAMF

            Nightcrawler appeared just above the demon's head and landed on its back.  He pulled the blade from its neck and then, with deft skill, he swung himself toward Faith.  He was sliding down the arm holding Faith and stabbed into the creature's body, which was continuing to loose form.

            The demon shrieked in surprise and fear and swung its arm violently around, sending Nightcrawler flying toward the wall.  The blade was knocked from his hands, but Nightcrawler managed to grab a hold on one of the upper frescos and turned quickly to face the creature again.

            It continued to spin its body around, still holding Faith in its grasp.  Its head was moving at a different speed than the rest of its body, which was now entirely smoky and wraith-like again.

            Faith cried out in pain as the demon lost its grasp on her, and she went flying through the air.  Nightcrawler leapt along the walls and ceiling toward the Slayer with superhuman speed.  He teleported once, and caught Faith before she could impact the wall.  They tumbled to the ground and rolled a few times before coming to a stop.  It was not the most graceful performance in the world, but Kurt had fallen enough times from the trapeze to know how to make their landing as harmless as possible.

            --------------------------

            The demon was still shrieking, but the intensity of its voice was fading.

            The X-Men could only watch in horrified relief as the demon's body began to fade into nothing.  It melted into the shadows, falling inward on itself, as if a black hole had opened to reclaim something it had lost.

            There was one final cry of fury, and a moment of intense silence before one final shutter ran through the walls of the church.  The cold lifted and the only thing the X-Men had left to hear was their own pounding heartbeats.

            --------------------------

Author's note:  OKAY!  Finally in the homestretch here.  Just wanted to reply to reviews quickly and then hopefully finish this book tonight!

To DemonRogue13:  Thanks again for the support!  If I am able to finish book 5 tonight...then book 6 cometh soon!

To Kernl Toad Sandrz:  I salute you Kernl!  Thanks for the reviews.  Yes, I have read your first book, but alas I did not review!  :-(   Contrary to how much I work, I can be a lazy bum when it comes to reviewing what I read!  :-)  But I will be watching for updates on your sequel so keep the chapters coming!

To LilSis:  Once again your in depth and thought provoking review astonishes me.  :-P

To Malkavian:  My only compensation for these stories is my sanity after a 14 hour work day.  lol   I _will_ keep writing... The next book is already planned...just gotta get it written down.  :-)


	21. Chapter Twenty: Peaceful Aftermath

Chapter Twenty:

Charles Xavier looked out the window of his office, listening to the lingering sounds of fire trucks and ambulances in the distance. His brow was furrowed in concentration, and he touched his temples lightly with his fingertips. After a few moments, he lowered his hands and smiled with relief.

"So...it's definitely gone?" Scott asked, and Xavier nodded reassuringly.

Scott stood with his arms folded near the Professor's desk, while Bobby, Mary and Peter sat in the scattered chairs leftover from the previous day's classes. They all looked tense as they waited for Xavier to confirm that the creature had been destroyed.

"It is gone," Xavier said, stressing every word firmly, "I sense no lingering danger here, or in the church, or anywhere else in the immediate vicinity."

The X-Men seemed to exhale a collective sigh of relief, but Mary kept her eyes focused on the Professor.

"The immediate vicinity?" she asked quickly, wringing her hand anxiously, "Does that mean there's a danger somewhere else..."

Xavier paused a moment before replying.

"Unfortunately..." he began, "There is always danger somewhere. Though I doubt anyone else will be bothered by the demon you all faced tonight. However, believe me when I say...we are not the only ones capable of protecting the innocent."

Mary nodded and sat back against the cushioned chair. She trusted the Professor's judgment...but that had only been one demon...one page from a massive volume of powerful creatures...

Xavier sensed her continued discomfort, and he doubted anything he would say now would assuage her fears. She had come face to face with evil tonight. Not for the first time, but past experiences cannot always prepare a person for what they may encounter in the future. One must simply learn what they can and move forward, without living in constant fear of the shadows around them.

Therefore, he shifted their conversation to the positive end of their most recent adventure.

"How are Storm and our guest faring?" Xavier asked.

Scott sighed wearily but grinned, "Storm will be fine. She is still unconscious but Henry says her concussion was mild. As for Faith...well...let's say she's been a more challenging patient..."

--------------------------

"This is _really_ boring...just so you know," Faith said with a pouting frown as Dr. McCoy adjusted her injured arm into a sling.

Henry did not reply, and glanced up at her with annoyance as she chided him.

"It's not like I've never dislocated a shoulder before..." the Slayer continued, "Can't you just pop it back in?"

Henry rolled his eyes, and wrapped his large hands around her arm carefully.

"Despite what Mel Gibson has taught a generation of movie-goers, my dear," he replied, "It is really not the best idea to just _pop_ a disjointed limb back into place."

Faith shrugged, though her one arm remained limp, "Always worked on, Doc, you don't have to baby me...just get it back where it should be...the pain's not a problem...I won't faint or anything..."

"Believe me, Miss Faith," he said, "If I thought the procedure would cause you to loose consciousness and finally grant me some silence...I would have done that the moment you walked in."

Faith chuckled as the doctor continued his much gentler approach to repairing her arm. She glanced to her right and spotted Kurt sitting fretfully by Storm's bedside. He was holding one of her hands politely, and Faith guessed by the expression on his face that the blue mutant was praying again. Dr. McCoy had promised him that Storm would wake soon, but she figured a little convo with the Big Guy Above couldn't hurt anything either.

Faith turned her head back toward Henry and regarded him carefully. After a moment, she shook her head and grinned.

"_I'm blue...da boo dee da boo da..._" she began to sing softly, and chuckled again as the doctor glanced up at her in surprise, "I'm not making fun, Doc. It's just I was calling Kurt 'Blue'... but you're blue, too. So who wins the knick name?"

Henry smirked and waggled a finger in her face, "Considering the number of bruises you have recently earned...I would say _you'll _be stuck with it."

"I've looked worse," she said, her humor fading slightly under a strange sadness.

"You know...I have heard that from quite a few of the students here," he replied kindly.

"I'm not student," Faith replied quickly, "I'm a little old for grammar school..."

"I believe _I_ also said that same thing when I arrived here," he continued, keeping his expression even and pleasant in spite of her quick and angry tone.

Faith regarded him curiously, "You...you haven't _always_ been a mutant...have you?"

"Nope," Henry said with a new grin, and held his large hands out toward her, "This...is still quite new for me. My old life is gone...but...I think I've settled into this new one very well."

His patient glanced away from him doubtfully, "It's not always that easy, Doc."

"You're right..." he said, easing his massive body to his feet, "But then...what fun would it be if it was easy?"

Faith glanced up at him, and Henry patted her shoulder and winked at her before he walked away.

--------------------------

Kurt opened his eyes after he finished his prayer, just as heard Storm finally stirring on her cot.

With a soft groan, Storm struggled awake from the darkness the demon had thrown her into, and she felt Kurt's strong hand around her own. She knew it was Kurt...he was the only mutant she knew with only three fingers.

Storm blinked against the medical lab's bright lights, and smiled softly when she finally was able to focus on the worried Kurt Wagner.

"Ororo..." he said softly, relief washing over his face, "You are awake..."

"Ug...getting there..." she muttered and winced as she touched her head, "What happened? Were you able to stop it?"

Kurt nodded, "Yes...Faith and the others arrived shortly after you were...after you..."

"Got K.O.ed?" she finished for him with a grin, "Was anyone else hurt?"

"Dr. McCoy is helping Faith, but no one else was seriously injured..." he answered her quickly and then tightened his hold on her hand, "Not like...you have been..."

Storm tilted her head slightly to look at him, and she noticed the new tears on his cheeks, expressing both his relief and his lingering anger. She lifted a hand toward his face and brushed her finger tips along his cheek gently.

Kurt inhaled sharply in surprise, and stared at her, wide-eyed and anxious.

"You know..." she said, feeling her own face flushing, "Someone so beautiful...shouldn't cry so much..."

Hearing his own words to her so many months ago echo from her lips, Kurt smiled and held her hand to his blue skin. Storm sat up carefully, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kurt sobbed with elation and relief as he held her back, silently thanking God for answering more than one of his prayers.

--------------------------

Xavier held out his right hand toward Faith, so that she could easily shake it with her left. Her right arm was still held securely with a sling, which had been healing incredibly quickly considering it had only been a week since the demon's attack on the church.

Faith shook the Professor's hand and smiled appreciatively.

"You know, you are always welcome to stay," Xavier said, as he moved his chair back slightly and positioning himself amongst the other X-Men.

They were standing outside at the top of the mansion's long driveway, Xavier, Faith and the others who had taken part in their little demon adventure. Faith nodded in reply as she glanced around at her new allies.

"Yeah, I know," she said, shifting the duffle bag on her shoulder to a more comfortable position, "But...this is kind of what I do now. Freelance Slayer...saving the world one expensive mansion at a time."

She glanced once at Dr. McCoy, who smiled kindly, and then at Kurt. He was holding hands with Storm again as they stood with the others to see her off.

"I'm kind of okay with this life right now," she said and then looked back at Xavier, "But if I ever need a place to crash on the east coast...I'll know where to come."

Xavier nodded, "Anytime, Faith...and hopefully the next time will be under more amicable circumstances."

"Yeah...me, too," she replied, "And...Thanks...to all you guys...for everything..."

Faith began to walk off, but paused by Kurt and held out her hand toward him. Kurt tilted his head with surprise and shook it carefully.

"I just wanted to say..." she began, taking a long breath before continuing, "...I'm sorry. you for that thing. I think...I'm more of a monster than you are."

Kurt shook his head, "No, you're not. Do not concern yourself about offending me. I think any debt you had to me has been paid. Have faith in that..."

"Was that a bad joke?" Faith asked with a smirk, before heading off, "See you around, Blue."

The X-Men all called out their goodbyes to the Slayer as she walked down the lane back out into the world beyond the gates of Xavier's school. She was a Slayer after all, and she had work to do. Maybe...she would head back west...


	22. Epilogue

Epilogue:

            Remy leaned his head into his hands and sighed heavily, as the large pile of Swedish fish bet on the last hand of poker was drawn away from him by his new opponent.

            It had only been about two weeks since the first poker night in the mansion, but Remy felt the current situation was almost as tragic as Kurt's violent introduction to Faith the Vampire Slayer.  Truth be told, the great Gambit actually considered his enemy now much _worse_ than a life-sucking demon.

            He watched pitifully as the small gummy fish were removed from the center of the table (where he had so confidently wagered them), and positioned neatly in front of the woman sitting across from him.

            "Well, Mr. LeBeau?" Storm said, unable to entirely hide the glee twinkling in her eyes, "Are you up for another round?"

            The other X-Men looked back and forth, regarding each player with cautious amusement.  Kurt sat next to Storm quietly, watching her break down the Cajun's card shark reputation with undisguised pride.

            Remy lifted his head and examined the two remaining red fishes in his possession, sitting among his five losing playing cards.

            "A gentleman, _chere_," he said with a depressed sigh, "_never_ gives up when he is challenged.  Fortunately, _pour moi_, I am no gentleman.  So, now...I will take my two surviving companions...find a nice quiet corner...and weep as I eat them..."

            Storm chuckled, and looked satisfied in her victory.  She began to gather the playing cards back into a complete pile and glanced around at the others curiously.

            "Anyone else?" she asked.

            The others mumbled comical refusals to her challenge, and everyone began to rise, signaling the end to their first _successful_ poker night.

            "I think they're all afraid of you now," Kurt said to her in a soft voice, as the others began to filter out of the room.

            Storm smiled at him as she stood up, "But not you...right?"

            He took her hand shyly as the last of their friends wandered into the hallway.  Storm held his hand in both of hers and met his eyes with warm adoration.

            Kurt grinned and shook his head, "No...not me."

            Storm barely noticed as Kurt's tail wrapped around her waist, and gasped as they disappeared out of the room.

            When she opened her eyes again, they were both standing on the mansion's roof, which was glowing under the soft moonlight.  She looked at him with surprise.  He had teleported somewhere without being able to see it.  She knew he had been practicing jumping from place to place by memory, and there was no anxiety in his face as he smiled at her.

            "You know something?" he continued, "I am not very afraid of_ me_ either..."

            Storm opened her mouth to speak, as he stared bashfully up at the stars.  Her gentle Kurt, her loyal friend, her most trusted confidante in her time of mourning...and now, _she _was not afraid to make him something more.

            So, she turned his face back toward her own, and kissed him for the first time.

THE END

            --------------------------

Author's note:  END OF BOOK 5!!!!  Finally!  Such a moving, deep and mushy end...I need to write something else to balance out all these warm fuzzies....Hmm?  I know!  Let's go see what the Brotherhood is doing...   :-)  Thanks again to everyone who is reading and sending feedback about the books!


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